SUPPLY DEVICE FOR CANNULAS, METHOD FOR SUPPLYING CANNULAS, COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

Abstract

The invention relates to improvements in the technical field of supplying cannulas (2). For this purpose, there is proposed, inter alia, a supply device (1), the removal carriage (4) of which includes at least one cannula receptacle (6) for accommodating a cannula (2), said cannula receptacle (6) being connectable or connected to a vacuum source (7) in order for a cannula (2) to be fixed in the cannula receptacle (6).

Claims

1. A supply device (1) for supplying cannulas (2), comprising: a cannula magazine (3); a removal carriage (4) configured for removing cannulas (2) from the cannula magazine (3) and for transporting the cannulas (2) to a supply position, the removal carriage (4) including at least one cannula receptacle (6) for a cannula (2); said cannula receptacle (6) being connectable or connected to a vacuum source (7) that is applyable to fix one said cannula (2) in the cannula receptacle (6); a lifting means (17) for raising and lowering a stock of cannulas located in the cannula magazine (3); and the removal carriage (4) has a longitudinal groove (22) into which the lifting means (17) is engageable.

2. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a position correction device (9) configured to align a cannula (2), arranged in the at least one cannula receptacle (6), in a target position.

3. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the position correction device (9) is configured to at least one of rotate a cannula (2), arranged in the at least one cannula receptacle (6) by a defined angular amount or to move the cannula (2) axially by a defined distance in order to align the cannula (2) in a target position.

4. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 4, further comprising at least one sensor (11) configured to check at least one of presence or position of the cannula arranged in the at least one cannula receptacle (6) of the removal carriage (4).

5. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a position correction device (9) configured to align a cannula (2), arranged in the at least one cannula receptacle (6), in a target position, and a controller (12) configured to activate the position correction device (9) according to a sensor signal transmitted by the at least one sensor (11), in order to align the cannula (2), arranged in the at least one cannula receptacle (6), in the target position.

6. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removal carriage (4) for removing cannulas (2) from the cannula magazine (3) is movable past the cannula magazine (3) in a removal movement, and the cannula magazine (3) comprises an exchangeable magazine.

7. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a holder (13), and the cannula magazine (3) is connected to the holder (13) via a releasable form-fit connection (14).

8. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a removal gripper (15).

9. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the removal gripper (15) has a number of gripping receptacles (16) corresponding to a number of cannula receptacles (6) on the removal carriage (4).

10. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lifting strip as a lifting means (17) for raising and lowering a stock of the cannulas located in the cannula magazine (3).

11. The supply device as claimed in claim 10, wherein a movement of the lifting means (17) is guided by a guide (18).

12. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal groove of the removal carriage (4) is open at an edge, and a lifting means (17) for raising and lowering a stock of the cannulas located in the cannula magazine (3) is engageable in the longitudinal groove (22) when the removal carriage (4) is arranged below the cannula magazine (3).

13. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the removal carriage (4) has a recess (23) into which a removal gripper (15) is movable during the removal of cannulas (2), and the recess (23) is aligned transversely or at right angles to the at least one cannula receptacle (6).

14. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one suction point (39) connected to the vacuum source (7) in or on the at least one cannula receptacle (6).

15. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the lifting means (17) is insertable into the cannula magazine (3) through a removal opening (5) of the cannula magazine (3) in order to raise the stock of cannulas in the cannula magazine (3).

16. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cannula magazine (3) has at least one securing means (19), with which a removal opening (5) of the cannula magazine (3) is closeable.

17. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a device (26) for at least one of removing or attaching the at least one securing means (19).

18. The supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removal carriage (3) has two removal fields, each with at least one said cannula receptacle (6) for one of the cannulas (2), and is movable in shuttle mode between two transfer positions arranged on different sides of the cannula magazine (3).

19. A method for supplying cannulas (2) for a downstream process step in processing of cannulas (2), the method comprising using the supply device (1) as claimed in claim 2 and removing the cannulas (2) by the removal carriage (4) from the cannula magazine (3) of the supply device (1); detecting a position of at least of one said cannula (2) in the at least one cannula receptacle (6) of the removal carriage (4) using at least one sensor (11); bringing the cannula (2) to a target position; and using a sensor (11) connected to a controller (12) of the supply device to detect a positional deviation of the cannula (2) from the target position and using a position correction device (9) of the supply device (1) to correct the positional deviation of the cannula (2) from the target position to bring the cannula (2) into the target position.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising removing the at least one cannula (2) from the cannula receptacle (6) of the removal carriage (4) using a removal gripper (15) and transferring the at least one cannula (2) to a downstream process step.

21. A computer program (34) fixed in a tangible medium, comprising commands that cause that the supply device (1) to carry out the method as claimed in claim 19.

22. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The invention will now be described in more detail on the basis of an exemplary embodiment, but it is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. Further exemplary embodiments of the invention are obtained by combining individual or multiple of the features disclosed herein with one another and/or by combining individual or multiple features of the exemplary embodiment shown in the following figures, where:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a supply device for supplying cannulas, with a cannula magazine and with a removal carriage assigned to the cannula magazine, on the upper side of which removal carriage there are a total of eight cannula receptacles, into which cannulas from the cannula magazine reach when, during a removal movement, the removal carriage is moved past a removal opening at the underside of the cannula magazine,

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the supply device shown in FIG. 1, with a removal gripper of the device being arranged here in the removal position on the removal carriage,

[0039] FIG. 3 shows the supply device, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with a removal carriage located at the end of its removal movement,

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a further perspective view of the supply device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, here with two safety pins pushed in front of the removal opening of the cannula magazine in order to prepare for a magazine exchange,

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a partially broken perspective illustration of the supply device shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, in order to illustrate the connection of the cannula receptacles of the removal carriage to a vacuum source, and

[0042] FIGS. 6 and 7 show perspective views of a cannula magazine in order to illustrate the function of the securing pins and of a sliding connection for the exchangeable attachment of the cannula magazine to a holder of the supply device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] FIGS. 1 to 5 show a supply device, denoted as a whole by reference sign 1, for supplying cannulas 2 for downstream process steps, such as are applied, for example, in the production of syringes, for which the cannulas 2 are required.

[0044] The supply device 1 has a cannula magazine 3 and a removal carriage 4. The removal carriage 4 is moved past the cannula magazine 3 in a removal movement in order to remove cannulas 2 from the cannula magazine 3. Here, the removal carriage 4 passes a removal opening 5 of the cannula magazine 3, through which removal opening 5 cannulas 2 are fed to the removal carriage 4 from the cannula magazine 3. Supported by gravity and by a pusher 37, the cannulas 2 stored in the cannula magazine 3 can enter the cannula receptacles 6 of the removal carriage 4. Furthermore, the removal carriage 4 is used to transport the cannulas to a transfer position and to make them available there for downstream processing steps.

[0045] The removal carriage 4 of the supply device 1 shown in the figures has, on its upper side, a total of eight cannula receptacles 6 for one cannula 2 each. The cannula receptacles 6 are connected to a vacuum source 7 of the supply device 1 in order to fix the cannulas 2 in the cannula receptacles 6. A vacuum generated by the vacuum source 7 is transmitted to the cannula receptacles 6 via a vacuum connection 8 and can act there on the cannulas 2 positioned in the cannula receptacles 6, in order to fix the cannulas 2 in the cannula receptacles 6.

[0046] The supply device 1 has a position correction device 9. The position correction device 9 is configured to bring the cannulas 2, arranged in the cannula receptacles 6, to a target position if the cannulas 2 are not correctly positioned in the cannula receptacles 6. For this purpose, the position correction device 9 has a number of alignment means 10 corresponding to the number of cannula receptacles 6 on the removal carriage 4, with which alignment means 10 the cannulas 2 positioned in the cannula receptacles 6 can be clamped and aligned.

[0047] The position correction device 9, with its alignment means 10, is configured to rotate the cannulas 2, arranged in the cannula receptacles 6, by a defined angular amount about their longitudinal axis and to axially move the cannulas 2 by a defined distance, in order to align the cannulas 2 if necessary and to bring them to their target position. The position correction device 9 comprises a total of eight clamping devices 35 and eight drives 36 connected to the clamping devices 35. Cannulas 2 arranged in the cannula receptacles 6 can be clamped with the clamping devices 35 and, if a positional deviation is detected, can be rotated and/or axially moved with the aid of the drives 36 in order to correct the positional deviation.

[0048] The supply device 1 has a plurality of sensors 11, which are designed as cameras in the exemplary embodiment of the supply device 1 shown in the figures. The sensors 11 are used to determine whether the cannula receptacles 6 are occupied by cannulas 2 and also whether the cannulas 2 arranged in the cannula receptacles 6 are properly aligned.

[0049] If a positional deviation of one or more or all of the cannulas 2 in the cannula receptacles 6 from a target position can be determined, the position of the cannulas 2 in the cannula receptacles 6 of the removal carriage 4 can be corrected with the aid of the position correction device 9. In this case, the position can include both a position of the cannula 2 in the cannula receptacle 6 and a rotational setting of the cannula 2 in the cannula receptacle 6.

[0050] The supply device 1 is equipped for this purpose with a controller 12. The controller 12 is configured to activate the position correction device 9 according to a sensor signal transmitted by the at least one sensor 11, in order to align one or more of the cannulas 2 arranged in the cannula receptacles 6, if a position deviation is detected with the aid of the sensors 11.

[0051] The cannula magazine 3 of the supply device as shown in the figures is designed as an exchangeable magazine. The supply device 1 has a holder 13 on which the cannula magazine 3, designed as an exchangeable magazine, is fastened in an exchangeable manner. By virtue of the holder 13 and the design of the cannula magazine 3 as an exchangeable magazine, the cannula magazine 3 can, if necessary, be very easily and, above all, quickly exchanged for a cannula magazine 3 filled with other cannulas 2.

[0052] The cannula magazine 3 is connected to the holder 13 via a releasable form-fit connection 14, which is designed here as a sliding connection, namely as a dovetail connection.

[0053] The supply device 1 has a removal gripper 15. The removal gripper 15 is designed as a vacuum-type gripper and is in turn likewise connected to a vacuum source 7.

[0054] The removal gripper 15 has a total of eight gripping receptacles 16, hence a number of gripping receptacles 16 that corresponds to the number of cannula receptacles 6 on the removal carriage 4.

[0055] The supply device 1 also has a lifting means 17 in the form of a lifting strip. The lifting means 17 serves, as and when required, to raise and lower a stock of cannulas located in the cannula magazine 3. A movement of the lifting means 17 is predefined and guided by a guide 18.

[0056] The function of the lifting means 17 will become clear from FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows the supply device 1 after a new cannula magazine 3 has been attached to the holder 13. The figure shows two securing means 19 in the form of securing pins, by means of which the removal opening 5 of the cannula magazine 3 is closed on the underside. The cannulas 2 stocked in the cannula magazine 3 are held back by the securing means 19. Before the securing means 19 can be pulled in order to allow the cannulas 2 to pass through the removal opening 5 of the cannula magazine 3, the lifting means 17 is brought to the position shown in FIG. 4. For this purpose, the lifting means 17 is pushed from below into the removal opening 15 of the cannula magazine 3, as a result of which the cannulas 2 arranged in the cannula magazine 3 are raised. The securing means 19 can then be pulled in order to open the removal opening 5 of the cannula magazine 3 for the cannulas 2.

[0057] Before the actual removal of the cannulas 2 from the cannula magazine 3 can be done with the aid of the removal carriage, the lifting means 17 carefully places the cannulas 2 on the upper side of the removal carriage 4. In the process, the cannulas 2 come into contact with a region 20 of the removal carriage 4 which is arranged adjacent to a removal field 21 with the cannula receptacles 6 on the upper side of the removal carriage. To allow the lifting means 17 to deposit the cannulas 2 onto the region 20 of the removal carriage 4, the removal carriage 4 has a longitudinal groove 22, which is open at the edge and into which the lifting means 17 can engage when the removal carriage 4 is arranged below the cannula magazine 3. FIG. 5 shows the lifting means 17 above the longitudinal groove 22 in the removal carriage 4.

[0058] The removal carriage 4 moreover has a recess 23 into which the aforementioned removal gripper 15 can be moved during the removal of cannulas 2 from the cannula receptacles 6. The recess 23 runs at right angles to the total of eight cannula receptacles 6. Each of the cannula receptacles 6 is divided by the recess 23 into two receptacle portions 24 and 25. The receptacle portions 24 and 25 are connected to the vacuum source 7 via the vacuum connection 8, which can be seen clearly in FIG. 5 for example. As has already been mentioned above, the lifting means 17 can be inserted into the cannula magazine 3 through the removal opening 5 of the cannula magazine 3, in order to raise the stock of cannulas in the cannula magazine 3 in the above-described manner and also, when so required, to lower them again.

[0059] FIGS. 1 to 5 make clear that each cannula receptacle 6 of the removal carriage 4 has two suction points 39 connected to the vacuum source 7. The vacuum provided by the vacuum source 7 for fixing the cannulas 2 can be transferred to the cannula receptacles 6, and to the cannulas 2 positioned therein, via the suction points 39. As has already been explained above, each of the cannula receptacles 6 of the removal carriage 4 shown in the figures is divided into two receptacle portions 24 and 25. Each of the receptacle portions 24 and 25 of each cannula receptacle 6 has at least one suction point 39 connected to the vacuum source 7. In this way, the cannulas 2 can be fixed particularly reliably in the receptacle portions 24 and 25 of the individual cannula receptacles 6 of the removal carriage 4 by means of negative pressure. The two rows of receptacle portions 24 and 25 of the cannula receptacles 6 of the removal carriage 4 are each connected to the vacuum source 7 via respective vacuum lines 40, 41, each of which is part of the aforementioned vacuum connection 8.

[0060] For the removal and attachment of the two securing means 19, the supply device 1 has a device 26 for removing and attaching the securing means 19. The device 26 comprises a strip 27 with two spaced-apart grooves 28 into which heads 29 of the securing means 19 can engage. The heads 29 of the securing means 19 can be seen clearly in FIGS. 6 and 7, for example. In the grooves 28, one of which can be seen for example in FIG. 5, the heads 29 of the securing means 19 can be fixed with form-fit engagement on the cannula magazine 3 in respect of a plug-in direction and pull-out direction of the securing means, such that they can be plugged in and also pulled out with the aid of the strip 27 of the device 26. FIG. 6 in particular makes clear that the cannula magazine 3 has a slit 32 on each of two opposite walls 30, 31, through which slit 32 the lifting means 17 for raising and lowering the cannulas 2 in the cannula magazine 3 can be inserted into the cannula magazine 3.

[0061] In an embodiment of the supply device 1 not shown in the figures, the removal carriage 3 has two removal fields, each with at least one cannula receptacle 6 for a cannula 2. The removal carriage 3 of this embodiment of the supply device 1 can be moved in shuttle mode between two transfer positions arranged on different sides of the cannula magazine 3. In this way, an idle stroke of the removal carriage 4 is avoided, which can increase the productivity of the supply device 1.

[0062] The following method for supplying cannulas 2 for a downstream process step in the processing of cannulas 2, in particular in the production of syringes, can be carried out using the supply device 1 shown in the figures. It is provided that the cannulas 2 are removed from the cannula magazine 3 of the supply device 1 with the removal carriage 4. The position of at least one cannula 2 in at least one of the cannula receptacles 6 of the removal carriage 4 is then detected with the aid of a sensor 11. A cannula 2 that has a positional deviation can then be brought to a target position with the aid of the position correction device 9 of the supply device 1, depending on a positional deviation of the cannula 2 detected with the aid of the sensor 11 and the controller 12 of the supply device. The cannulas 2 can then be removed from the cannula receptacles 6 of the removal carriage 4 in their intended position with the aid of the removal gripper 15 and transferred to a downstream process step. The transfer of the cannulas 2 to a downstream processing device 38 for carrying out a downstream process step is shown in FIG. 3, for example. In one of the downstream process steps, it is possible to feed the cannulas 2 to an injection mold and to encapsulate them with plastic, for example in order to produce syringes.

[0063] On a computer-readable medium 33, here in a cloud-based data memory, a computer program 34 is stored which includes commands that cause the supply device to perform the method described above.

[0064] The invention relates to improvements in the technical field of supplying cannulas 2. For this purpose, there is proposed, inter alia, a supply device 1, the removal carriage 4 of which includes at least one cannula receptacle 6 for accommodating a cannula 2, said cannula receptacle 6 being connectable or connected to a vacuum source 7 in order for a cannula 2 to be fixed in the cannula receptacle 6.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0065] 1 supply device [0066] 2 cannula [0067] 3 cannula magazine [0068] 4 removal carriage [0069] 5 removal opening [0070] 6 cannula receptacle [0071] 7 vacuum source [0072] 8 vacuum connection [0073] 9 position correction device [0074] 10 alignment means [0075] 11 sensor [0076] 12 controller [0077] 13 holder [0078] 14 releasable form-fit connection [0079] 15 removal gripper [0080] 16 gripping receptacles [0081] 17 lifting means [0082] 18 guide [0083] 19 securing means [0084] 20 region [0085] 21 removal field [0086] 22 longitudinal groove [0087] 23 recess [0088] 24 receptacle portion [0089] 25 receptacle portion [0090] 26 device for removing and/or attaching the securing means [0091] 27 strip [0092] 28 groove [0093] 29 heads of 19 [0094] 30 wall of 3 [0095] 31 wall of 3 [0096] 32 slit [0097] 33 computer-readable medium, cloud-based data memory [0098] 34 computer program [0099] 35 clamping device [0100] 36 drive [0101] 37 pusher [0102] 38 downstream processing device [0103] 39 suction point in 6, 24, 25 [0104] 40 vacuum line [0105] 41 vacuum line