JP7792123B2 - Removal jig - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a removal jig.

Patent Document 1 discloses a medical testing cassette consisting of a cassette body, a lid, and a shielding plate. The cassette body is a rectangular container that opens upward and has multiple through-holes at the bottom, while the lid also has multiple through-holes and is attached to the top of the cassette body. The shielding plate is a plate-like member with multiple protrusions on its top surface that can fit into the through-holes drilled in the bottom of the cassette body.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-246076

In the invention described in Patent Document 1, a lid is attached to the cassette body, and with the sample sealed inside the cassette, each cassette is immersed in a chemical solution. At this time, it is necessary to securely fasten the lid to the cassette body so that the lid does not come off the cassette body. However, with the invention described in Patent Document 1, the lid must be removed from the cassette body after the paraffin has solidified, and the embedded block must be removed, making removal of the embedded block cumbersome and time-consuming.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a removal jig that can easily remove embedded blocks.

In order to solve the above problem, the removal jig of the present invention is, for example, a cassette receiving portion for holding a medical cassette, the cassette receiving portion having a side rib that is rectangular in plan view and arranged adjacent to the side of the cassette and a flat surface against which the underside of the cassette abuts, and a plate-like portion extending approximately parallel to the flat surface on a first rib that is one of the two short sides of the side rib, the removal jig having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape for removing the cassette from a cassette holder, the first surface having an insertion hole into which the cassette receiving portion is inserted, and the first and second surfaces, which are two opposing side surfaces of the insertion hole, having side grooves into which the second and third ribs, which are two long sides of the side ribs, are inserted, and when the cassette receiving portion is inserted into the insertion hole and the fourth rib other than the first rib of the two short sides of the side rib abuts against the bottom surface of the insertion hole, first slits and second slits, which are arranged in straight lines parallel to the first rib in the second and third ribs, are arranged along the first surface.

According to the removal jig of the present invention, an insertion hole into which a cassette receiving portion is inserted is provided on the first surface of the approximately rectangular parallelepiped removal jig. When the second rib or third rib (the two long sides of the side rib) is inserted into the side grooves provided on the first and second opposing side surfaces of the insertion hole and the fourth rib (one of the two short sides of the side rib) abuts against the bottom surface of the insertion hole, the first slit and second slit provided in the second and third ribs on a straight line parallel to the first rib (one of the two short sides of the side rib) are arranged along the first surface. This allows the cassette holder (cassette receiving portion) to be easily bent along the line connecting the first slit and second slit, thereby making it easy to remove the embedded block from the cassette receiving portion.

The first side surface is provided along a second surface adjacent to the first surface, and the second side surface is provided along a third surface adjacent to the first surface and parallel to the second surface. The insertion hole is exposed on a fourth surface adjacent to the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface, and is generally U-shaped when viewed along the first and second side surfaces. When the cassette receiving portion is inserted into the insertion hole and the second rib abuts against the bottom surface, the cassette may be positioned along the periphery of the insertion hole. This allows the cassette to rotate around the line together with the plate-shaped portion and the front half of the cassette receiving portion when the cassette holder is bent. Therefore, the embedded block can be easily removed from the cassette receiving portion.

The fourth surface may have a protruding portion that covers at least a portion of the insertion hole, and when the cassette receiving portion is inserted into the insertion hole and the second rib is in contact with the bottom surface, the protruding portion may abut against the top surface of the cassette. This allows the cassette to be fixed inside the insertion hole when the cassette holder is bent. Therefore, the embedded block B can be peeled off from the cassette receiving portion with little force. Furthermore, there is no need to hold the cassette by hand when bending the cassette holder, making it easy to bend the cassette holder.

The insertion hole may be exposed on a fifth surface adjacent to the first, second, and third surfaces, parallel to the fourth surface, and have a roughly U-shape when viewed along the first and second side surfaces. This allows the embedded block B to be peeled from the cassette receiving portion for both the front and back halves of the cassette receiving portion using a single insertion hole.

The bottom surface may have a bottom surface groove into which the fourth rib is inserted, and the fourth rib may abut against the bottom surface by being inserted into the bottom surface groove. This allows the cassette receiving portion to be held on three sides inside the insertion hole, making it easier to bend the cassette holder.

The cassette holder may include a rotating member rotatably mounted on a rotation axis extending parallel to the first surface, the rotating member having a first abutment portion and an opening, and when the cassette receiving portion is inserted into the insertion hole and the second rib abuts against the bottom surface, the first abutment portion abuts against the plate-shaped portion, and the cassette is exposed from the opening. This allows the cassette holder to be easily bent with a light force, i.e., the embedded block to be peeled off from the cassette holder, without touching the cassette holder or the embedded block.

The rotating member may have a second abutment portion provided on the first rib that abuts against the cassette retaining claw that engages with the cassette. This allows the rotating member to be used to disengage the cassette retaining claw before bending the cassette holder.

According to the present invention, the embedded block can be easily removed.

1A and 1B are diagrams showing the schematic configuration of a removal jig 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) and (B) are perspective views, (C) is a front view, (D) is a side view, and (E) is a cross-sectional view. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of a schematic configuration of a cassette holder 100, in which FIG. 1A is a front view and FIG. 1B is a side view. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a cassette holder 100 in which a cassette 101 is provided, in which FIG. 1A is a side view and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view. 1A and 1B are perspective views, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view, showing a state in which a cassette 101 and an embedded block B are removed from a cassette holder 100 using a removal jig 1. FIG. 10A, 10B, and 10C are perspective views, and FIG. 10D is a cross-sectional view, showing a schematic diagram of how a cassette 101 and an embedded block B are removed from a cassette holder 100 using a removal jig 1. 1A to 1D are diagrams showing the schematic configuration of a removal jig 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a perspective view, (C) is a front view, and (D) is a side view. This is a schematic diagram showing how the cassette 101 and the embedded block B are removed from the cassette holder 100 using the removal jig 2, with (A), (B), and (C) being oblique views and (D) and (E) being cross-sectional views. 1A to 1D are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a removal jig 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a perspective view, (C) is a front view, and (D) is a side view. This is a schematic diagram showing how the cassette 101 and embedded block B are removed from the cassette holder 100 using the removal jig 3, where (A), (C), and (E) are oblique views, and (B), (D), and (F) are cross-sectional views. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views schematically showing how the cassette 101 and the embedded block B are removed from the cassette holder 100 using the removal jig 3. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a removal jig 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10A, 10B, and 10C are cross-sectional views schematically showing how the cassette 101 and the embedded block B are removed from the cassette holder 100 using the removal jig 4. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The removal tool of the present invention is a device for removing cassettes from a cassette holder that produces paraffin-fixed, embedded blocks used in cancer gene panel testing, pathology testing, etc.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an extraction jig 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) and (B) are perspective views, (C) is a front view, (D) is a side view, and (E) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in (C).

The removal jig 1 has a main body 10 that is approximately rectangular. The main body 10 has six faces 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Faces 11 and 12 are approximately parallel, faces 13 and 16 are approximately parallel, and faces 14 and 15 are approximately parallel. Faces 11, 12, 14, and 15 are adjacent to face 13. Face 11 is marked with the letter "1," and face 12 is marked with the letter "2." The letters "1" and "2" indicate the order in which the removal jig 1 is used (described in detail later). Note that the "1" and "2" on faces 11 and 12 are not required.

Surface 13 (corresponding to the first surface of the present invention) is provided with an insertion hole 20 into which the cassette receiving portion 91 (see Figures 2 and 3) of the cassette holder 100 (see Figures 2 and 3) is inserted. The cassette holder 100 is a member that holds a medical cassette 101 (see Figure 3).

Now, we will explain the cassette holder 100. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the cassette holder 100, with (A) being a front view and (B) being a side view. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the cassette holder 100 with a cassette 101 installed, with (A) being a side view and (B) being a cross-sectional view. In the following explanation of the cassette holder 100, the upper and lower sides in Figure 3 will be referred to as the upper and lower sides of the cassette holder 100, respectively.

The cassette holder 100 mainly comprises a cassette receiving portion 91 on which the cassette 101 is mounted, and a roughly plate-shaped portion 92.

The cassette receiving portion 91 mainly has a flat surface 91a and side ribs 91b, 91c, 91d, and 91e. The flat surface 91a abuts against the underside 101a of the cassette 101 when the cassette 101 is installed. The flat surface 91a has multiple through-holes 97.

A protrusion 91h is provided on the flat surface 91a so as to protrude downward. The protrusion 91h is hollow inside. In this embodiment, the protrusion 91h has a generally truncated pyramid shape, but the shape of the protrusion 91h is not limited to this. A plurality of through-holes 97 are provided in the protrusion 91h. However, the position, shape, and number of the through-holes 97 are not limited to this.

Side ribs 91b, 91c, 91d, and 91e protrude upward from plane 91a. In a plan view of cassette holder 100 (when viewing cassette holder 100 from above), side rib 91b is approximately rectangular, with side ribs 91b and 91c representing the long sides and side ribs 91d and 91e representing the short sides. Side ribs 91b, 91c, 91d, and 91e are located adjacent to the sides of cassette 101 when cassette 101 is installed. Side ribs 91b, 91c, 91d, and 91e are shorter than the height of cassette 101.

The side rib 91d (corresponding to the first rib of the present invention) has a plate-shaped portion 92. The plate-shaped portion 92 is generally plate-shaped and extends generally parallel to the flat surface 91a. The plate-shaped portion 92 has protrusions 95 and 96 that are used to hold the cassette holder 100 when the cassette holder 100 is immersed in the medicine bottle. Note that the protrusions 95 and 96 are not required.

The side rib 91d is also provided with a cassette retaining claw 91g that engages with the cassette 101 when the cassette 101 is placed in the cassette receiving portion 91. However, the cassette retaining claw 91g is not required.

Slits 91i are provided in each of the side ribs 91b and 91c (corresponding to the second rib and third rib in this invention). The slits 91i are arranged on a straight line 1 parallel to the side rib 91d in a plan view. In this embodiment, the slits 91i are provided across the flat surface 91a, the side ribs 91d and 91e, and the protrusion 91h, but it is sufficient that the slits 91i are provided in at least the side ribs 91d and 91e.

The side rib 91e (corresponding to the fourth rib of the present invention) is provided with a protrusion 91f against which the front end 101c of the cassette 101 abuts. When the front end 101c abuts against the protrusion 91f and the rear end 101b of the cassette 101 is inserted into the inside of the side rib 91d, the cassette retaining claw 91g catches on the rear end 101b, and the cassette 101 is attached to the cassette holder 100.

With a specimen (hereinafter referred to as sample S) placed in the convex portion 91h, the cassette 101 is attached to the cassette receiving portion 91, sealing the sample S inside the cassette holder 100. In this state, the cassette holder 100 is placed in a chemical solution bottle, and the sample S is immersed in the chemical solution. The cassette receiving portion 91 is then placed on a paraffin tray (not shown), and paraffin is filled into the inside of the convex portion 91h from above the cassette 101. As the molten paraffin solidifies, the embedded block B with the sample S embedded inside the paraffin and the cassette 101 are integrated, and the embedded block B adheres to the inside of the convex portion 91h. The removal jig 1 is a tool used to remove the cassette 101 with the embedded block B integrated from the cassette holder 100.

Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, the insertion hole 20 is provided from surface 13 toward surface 16. The insertion hole 20 mainly has a bottom surface 21 and side surfaces 22 and 23 (corresponding to the first and second side surfaces of the present invention). The bottom surface 21 and the side surfaces 22 and 23 are approximately perpendicular to each other, and the side surfaces 22 and 23 face each other.

The bottom surface 21 is arranged substantially parallel to the surfaces 13 and 16. The bottom surface 21 is provided with a bottom surface groove 26 into which the side rib 91e is inserted.

Side surfaces 22 and 23 are provided along surfaces 14 and 15 (corresponding to the second and third surfaces of the present invention), respectively. Side surfaces 22 and 23 are provided with side grooves 24 and 25, respectively. Side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into side grooves 24 and 25.

The insertion hole 20 is exposed on surfaces 11 and 12 (corresponding to the fourth and fifth surfaces of the present invention) and is roughly U-shaped when viewed along the sides 22 and 23.

A protruding portion 27 is provided on surface 11, covering at least a portion of insertion hole 20. In this embodiment, protruding portion 27 has a rectangular plate shape when viewed from above, and its thickness is less than half the thickness of side surfaces 22 and 23. The extension direction of protruding portion 27 is approximately parallel to surface 11.

Note that the protruding portion 27 covers the bottom surface 21 when viewed along the side surfaces 22 and 23, but the position and shape of the protruding portion 27 are not limited to this. For example, a strip-shaped protrusion may cover the insertion hole 20 at a position away from the bottom surface 21.

Figures 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams showing how the cassette 101 and embedded block B are removed from the cassette holder 100 using the removal jig 1. Figure 4 shows how the cassette 101 and half of the embedded block B on the plate-shaped portion 92 side are removed from the cassette holder 100, and Figure 5 shows how the remaining half of the cassette 101 and embedded block B are removed from the cassette holder 100.

Figure 4(A) shows the cassette holder 100 inserted into the insertion hole 20, and Figures 4(B) and (C) show the cassette holder 100 inserted into the insertion hole 20 in a bent state. Figures 4(A) and (B) are perspective views, and Figure 4(C) is a cross-sectional view in the same state as (B).

First, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted into the insertion hole 20 with the surface 11 facing up. Because the side rib 91d has a plate-like portion 92, the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted into the insertion hole 20 so that the side rib 91e faces the back of the insertion hole 20. The side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into the side grooves 24 and 25, and the side ribs 91b and 91c are slid along the side grooves 24 and 25 to insert the cassette receiving portion 91 all the way into the insertion hole 20. When the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the side rib 91e is inserted into the bottom groove 26 and abuts against the bottom surface 21, and a slit 91i (line 1) is positioned along the surface 13.

Next, as shown in Figures 4(B) and (C), with the cassette receiving portion 91 inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the operator bends the plate-shaped portion 92 downward (see the arrow in Figure 4(C)). Because the side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into the side grooves 24 and 25, the inner half of the cassette receiving portion 91 (approximately half of the area including the side rib 91e) is held inside the insertion hole 20. Therefore, only the portion of the cassette holder 100 exposed outside the insertion hole 20 is bent by an external force.

Because the slits 91i (line l) are arranged along the surface 13, stress is concentrated between the pair of slits 91i, causing the cassette receiving portion 91 to bend along the line l connecting the pair of slits 91i. Providing a pair of slits 91i in this way makes it easier to bend the cassette holder 100.

When the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the periphery of the insertion hole 20 on surface 11 overlaps with the periphery of the cassette 101 (excluding the protruding portion 27), and the protruding portion 27 abuts against the top surface 101d of the cassette 101. Therefore, when the cassette holder 100 is bent, the protruding portion 27 presses against the top surface 101d, preventing the cassette 101 from moving, and the cassette receiving portion 91 is bent along line l, causing the cassette pressing claw 91g to disengage from the cassette 101. As a result, the embedded block B is peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91 in the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91 (approximately half the area including the side rib 91d).

Once the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91 has been peeled off from the embedded block B as shown in Figure 4, the rear half of the cassette receiving portion 91 is peeled off from the embedded block B as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5(A) shows the state in which the cassette holder 100 has been inserted into the insertion hole 20, and Figures 5(B), (C), and (D) show the state in which the plate-shaped portion 92 of the cassette holder 100 inserted into the insertion hole 20 has been folded. Figures 5(A), (B), and (C) are perspective views, and Figure 5(D) is a cross-sectional view in the same state as Figure 5(B).

First, as shown in Figure 5 (A), insert the cassette receiving part 91 into the insertion hole 20 with the surface 12 facing forward. The front half of the cassette receiving part 91 has already been peeled off from the embedded block B, but the cassette holding claw 91g is engaged with the cassette 101 before inserting the cassette receiving part 91 into the insertion hole 20.

Since the side rib 91d has a plate-shaped portion 92, the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted into the insertion hole 20 so that the side rib 91e is positioned at the back of the insertion hole 20. The side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into the side grooves 24 and 25, and the side ribs 91b and 91c are slid along the side grooves 24 and 25 to insert the cassette receiving portion 91 all the way into the insertion hole 20. As a result, the side rib 91e is inserted into the bottom groove 26, the side rib 91e abuts against the bottom surface 21, and the slit 91i (line 1) is positioned along surface 13.

Next, with the cassette receiving portion 91 inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the operator pushes the cassette 101 toward the back at position P (see Figures 5(A) and (B)) near the side rib 91d. Because the side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into the side grooves 24 and 25, the rear half of the cassette receiving portion 91 remains held inside the insertion hole 20, while the portion of the cassette holder 100 exposed outside the insertion hole 20 (the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91) is bent by an external force, as shown in Figures 5(B) and (D).

When the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the periphery of the insertion hole 20 on surface 12 overlaps with the periphery of the cassette 101. Unlike surface 11, surface 12 does not have a protruding portion 27, so the cassette 101 rotates around line 1 together with the plate-shaped portion 92 and the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91, and the back half of the cassette receiving portion 91 is peeled off from the embedded block B.

According to this embodiment, when the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into the side grooves 24 and 25, the rear half of the cassette receiving portion 91 is held inside the insertion hole 20, and the slit 91i (line l) is positioned along the surface 13. This allows the cassette receiving portion 91 to be easily bent along the line l connecting the pair of slits 91i, and therefore the embedded block B can be easily peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the protruding portion 27 abuts against the upper surface 101d of the cassette 101, so that the cassette 101 is fixed inside the insertion hole 20 when the cassette holder 100 is bent. Therefore, the embedded block B can be easily peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91 with a weak force.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the periphery of the insertion hole 20 on surface 12 overlaps with the periphery of the cassette 101. Therefore, when the cassette holder 100 is bent, the cassette 101 rotates around line 1 together with the plate-shaped portion 92 and the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91. Therefore, the embedded block B can be easily peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, there is no need to touch the embedded block B when removing it from the cassette receiving portion 91, which prevents contamination and damage to the embedded block B and sample S.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the insertion hole 20 is open on both surfaces 11 and 12, the cassette holder 100 can be inserted into the insertion hole 20 with either surface 11 or 12 facing up. This allows the embedded block B to be peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91 in both the front and back halves of the cassette receiving portion 91 using a single insertion hole 20.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the bottom surface 21 is provided with a bottom surface groove 26 into which the side rib 91e is inserted, so that the cassette receiving portion 91 is held on three sides inside the insertion hole 20. This ensures that the cassette receiving portion 91 is firmly held inside the insertion hole 20, making it easier to bend the cassette holder 100.

In this embodiment, the insertion hole 20 opens to the surface 11, but the thickness of the main body 10 may be increased so that the insertion hole does not open to the surface 11.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment of the present invention, the insertion holes 20 are open to the surfaces 11 and 12, but the shape of the insertion holes 20 is not limited to this. Hereinafter, a removal jig 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Figure 6 shows the schematic configuration of a removal jig 2, which is one embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a plan view, (B) is a perspective view, (C) is a front view, and (D) is a side view.

The removal jig 2 has a main body 10A that is approximately rectangular. The main body 10A has six faces 11A, 12A, 13A, 14, 15, and 16. Face 11A and face 12A (corresponding to the fourth or fifth face in the present invention) are approximately parallel. Faces 11A, 12A, 14, and 15 are adjacent to face 13A. Face 13A has an insertion hole 20A into which the cassette receiving portion 91 of the cassette holder 100 is inserted.

The insertion hole 20A is provided from surface 13A toward surface 16. The insertion hole 20 mainly has a bottom surface 21A and side surfaces 22 and 23.

The bottom surface 21A is arranged substantially parallel to the surfaces 13A and 16. The bottom surface 21A is provided with a bottom surface groove 26 into which the side surface rib 91e is inserted. The side surfaces 22A and 23A are arranged along the surfaces 14 and 15, respectively. The side surfaces 22A and 23A are provided with side surface grooves 24 and 25, respectively.

The insertion hole 20A is exposed on the surface 11A and is roughly U-shaped when viewed along the side surfaces 22A and 23A. A recess 11a is provided on the surface 11A adjacent to the insertion hole 20A. The insertion hole 20A is not exposed on the surface 12A, and has a recess 28 that faces the surface 12A.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing how the cassette 101 and embedded block B are removed from the cassette holder 100 using the removal jig 2. Figure 7(A) shows the cassette holder 100 inserted into the insertion hole 20, Figures 7(B) and (D) show the cassette holder 100 inserted into the insertion hole 20 in a bent state, and Figures 7(C) and (E) show how the cassette 101 and embedded block B are removed from the bent cassette holder 100. Figures 7(A), (B), and (C) are perspective views, and Figures 7(D) and (E) are cross-sectional views in the same states as (B) and (C), respectively.

First, as shown in Figure 7(A), insert the cassette receiving portion 91 into the insertion hole 20A with the surface 11A facing up. Insert the side ribs 91b and 91c into the side grooves 24 and 25, and slide the side ribs 91b and 91c along the side grooves 24 and 25 until the side rib 91e is inserted into the bottom groove 26, i.e., insert the cassette receiving portion 91 all the way into the insertion hole 20A. As a result, the slit 91i (line 1) is positioned along the surface 13.

Next, as shown in Figures 7(B) and (D), with the cassette receiving portion 91 inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the operator places thumb T on recess 11a to press down on the top surface 101d of the cassette 101, and bends plate-shaped portion 92 downward (see arrow in Figure 7(D)). Because side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into side grooves 24 and 25, the bottom surface of convex portion 91h abuts against wall surface 28a of recess 28, and slit 91i (line l) is positioned along surface 13, the deepest half of cassette receiving portion 91 remains held inside insertion hole 20A, and only the portion of cassette holder 100 exposed to the outside of insertion hole 20A is bent by external force along line l.

Because the thumb T is pressing down on the top surface 101d, the cassette 101 does not move when the cassette holder 100 is bent. Instead, the cassette receiving portion 91 is bent along line l, causing the cassette holding claw 91g to disengage from the cassette 101, and the embedded block B is peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91 in the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91.

Next, as shown in Figures 7(C) and (E), the operator holds the cassette 101 and embedded block B between his thumb and index finger and pulls the cassette 101 upward (see the arrow in Figure 7(E)). Because the side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into the side grooves 24 and 25 and the side rib 91e is inserted into the bottom groove 26, the cassette holder 100 does not move and the back half of the cassette receiving portion 91 is peeled off from the embedded block B.

According to this embodiment, when the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20A, the side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into the side grooves 24 and 25, the rear half of the cassette receiving portion 91 is held inside the insertion hole 20A, and the slit 91i (line l) is positioned along the surface 13. Therefore, the cassette receiving portion 91 can be easily bent along the line l connecting the pair of slits 91i, which makes it easy to peel the embedded block B from the cassette receiving portion 91.

It is particularly difficult to remove the embedded block B from the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91. Therefore, by using the removal jig 2 to assist in removing the embedded block B from the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91, the work of removing the embedded block B from the cassette receiving portion 91 becomes easier.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the bottom surface of the convex portion 91h abuts against the wall surface 28a of the concave portion 28, making it easy to bend the cassette holder 100 at the slit 91i.

Third Embodiment
In the first embodiment of the present invention, an operator touches cassette holder 100 inserted into removal jig 1, but force may be applied to cassette holder 100 without the operator touching cassette holder 100. An removal jig 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

Figure 8 shows the schematic configuration of the removal jig 3, which is one embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a plan view, (B) is a perspective view, (C) is a front view, and (D) is a side view.

The removal jig 3 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped main body 10B and a rotating member 40. The main body 10B has six faces 11B, 12B, 13B, 14A, 15A, and 16A. Face 11B and face 12B (corresponding to the fourth or fifth face of the present invention) are roughly parallel. Faces 11B, 12B, 14A, and 15A are adjacent to face 13B. Face 13B is provided with an insertion hole 20B into which the cassette receiving portion 91 of the cassette holder 100 is inserted, and face 16A is provided with an insertion hole 30 into which the cassette receiving portion 91 of the cassette holder 100 is inserted.

Furthermore, surfaces 14A and 15A (corresponding to the second and third surfaces of the present invention) are each provided with a rotation shaft 17 to which the rotating member 40 is rotatably attached, and a protrusion 18 that protects the rotating member 40. The rotation shaft 17 is provided parallel to surface 13B.

The insertion hole 20B extends from the surface 13B toward the surface 16A. The insertion hole 20B primarily has a bottom surface 21B and side surfaces 22B and 23B.

Bottom surface 21B is arranged approximately parallel to surfaces 13B and 16A. Side surfaces 22B and 23B are arranged along surfaces 14A and 15A, respectively. Side surface grooves 24A and 25A are formed on side surfaces 22B and 23B, respectively.

The insertion hole 20B is exposed on the surface 11B and is roughly U-shaped when viewed along the side surfaces 22B and 23B. A protruding portion 27 that covers at least a portion of the insertion hole 20B is provided on the surface 11B. The insertion hole 20B is not exposed on the surface 12B and has a plate-like portion 29 that is provided along the surface 12B.

The insertion hole 30 is provided on the surface 16A facing the surface 13B. The insertion hole 30 mainly has a bottom surface 31, side surfaces 32 and 33, and a recess 37.

The bottom surface 31 is provided substantially parallel to the surfaces 13B and 16A. The bottom surface 31 is provided with a bottom surface groove 36 (see Figures 9 and 10) into which the side surface rib 91e is inserted. The side surfaces 32 and 22 are provided along the surfaces 14A and 15A, respectively. The side surfaces 32 and 33 are provided with side surface grooves 34 and 35 (see Figures 9 and 10), respectively.

The insertion hole 30 is exposed on surface 11B and is roughly U-shaped when viewed along side surfaces 32 and 33. The insertion hole 30 is not exposed on surface 12B, and has a recess 37 facing surface 12B.

The rotating member 40 is rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft 17. The rotating member 40 mainly has a plate-shaped portion 41 and a protrusion 42. The plate-shaped portion 41 has a flat portion 41a (corresponding to the first abutment portion of the present invention) on the surface 12B side. The plate-shaped portion 41 also has an opening 43. The protrusion 42 has a pointed tip portion 42a (corresponding to the second abutment portion of the present invention).

Figures 9 and 10 are schematic diagrams showing how the cassette 101 and embedded block B are removed from the cassette holder 100 using the removal jig 3. Figures 9(A), (C), and (E) are perspective views, and Figures 9(B), (D), and (F) are cross-sectional views. Figures 10(A) and (B) are cross-sectional views.

First, as shown in Figures 9(A) and (B), insert the cassette receiving portion 91 into the insertion hole 20B with surface 11B facing up. Insert the side ribs 91b and 91c into the side grooves 24A and 25A, and slide the side ribs 91b and 91c along the side grooves 24A and 25A until the side ribs 91e abut against the bottom surface 21B, i.e., insert the cassette receiving portion 91 all the way into the insertion hole 20B. As a result, the slit 91i (line 1) is positioned along surface 13B. Additionally, the bottom surface of the convex portion 91h abuts against the wall surface 29a of the plate-shaped portion 29.

Next, the rotating member 40 is rotated (see the arrow in Figure 9(B)) so that the flat portion 41a abuts against the plate-shaped portion 92 and the tip portion 42a abuts against the cassette holding claw 91g, as shown in Figures 9(C) and 9(D). At this time, the cassette 101 is exposed from the opening 43. The rotating member 40 is then rotated further (see the arrow in Figure 9(D)). Because the cassette 101 is exposed from the opening 43, the rotating member 40 can be rotated further.

As a result, as shown in Figures 9(E) and (F), the tip 42a presses the cassette retaining claw 91g to remove it from the cassette 101, while the protruding portion 27 holds down the upper surface 101d and bends the portion exposed outside the insertion hole 20A of the cassette holder 100 along line l. Because the bottom surface of the convex portion 91h abuts against the wall surface 29a of the plate-shaped portion 29, the cassette receiving portion 91 is easily bent along line l. This causes the embedded block B to be peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91 in the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91.

Once the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91 has been peeled off from the embedded block B as shown in Figure 9, the rear half of the cassette receiving portion 91 is peeled off from the embedded block B as shown in Figure 10. Figure 10(A) shows the state in which the cassette holder 100 has been inserted into the insertion hole 30, and Figure 10(B) shows the state in which the plate-shaped portion 92 of the cassette holder 100 inserted into the insertion hole 30 has been bent.

First, as shown in Figure 10 (A), insert the cassette receiving part 91 into the insertion hole 30 with the surface 11B facing up. The front half of the cassette receiving part 91 has already been peeled off from the embedded block B, but the cassette holding claw 91g is engaged with the cassette 101 before inserting the cassette receiving part 91 into the insertion hole 30.

Insert the side ribs 91b and 91c into the side grooves 34 and 35, then slide the side ribs 91b and 91c along the side grooves 34 and 35 until the side rib 91e is inserted into the bottom groove 36, i.e., insert the cassette holder 91 all the way into the insertion hole 30. As a result, the slit 91i (line 1) is positioned along the surface 16A. The bottom surface of the convex portion 91h abuts against the wall surface 37a of the concave portion 37. The cassette 101 is positioned along the periphery of the insertion hole 30.

Next, as shown in Figure 10(B), with the cassette receiving portion 91 inserted all the way into the insertion hole 20, the operator pushes the cassette 101 downward at position P near the side rib 91d (see the arrow in Figure 10(B)). Because the side ribs 91b and 91c are inserted into the side grooves 34 and 35 and the side rib 91e is inserted into the bottom groove 36, the rear half of the cassette receiving portion 91 remains held inside the insertion hole 20, and the cassette 101 and embedded block B rotate around line 1 together with the plate-shaped portion 92 and the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91, and the rear half of the cassette receiving portion 91 is peeled off from the embedded block B.

In this embodiment, the use of the rotating member 40 makes it easy to bend the cassette holder 100 with a light force, i.e., to peel the embedded block B from the cassette holder 100. Furthermore, because the rotating member 40 has a tip 42a that abuts against the cassette holding claw 91g, the rotating member 40 can be used to disengage the cassette holding claw 91g before bending the cassette holder 100.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the cassette receiving portion 91 is inserted all the way into the insertion hole 30, the periphery of the insertion hole 30 on surface 11B overlaps with the periphery of the cassette 101. Therefore, when the cassette holder 100 is bent, the cassette 101 rotates around line 1 together with the plate-shaped portion 92 and the front half of the cassette receiving portion 91. Therefore, the embedded block B can be easily peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the embedded block B can be peeled off from the cassette holder 100 without touching the embedded block B.

In this embodiment, the cassette holder 100 has a cassette holding claw 91g, and so the tip 42a presses the cassette holding claw 91g, but the protrusion 42 and tip 42a are not essential. If there is no cassette holding claw 91g, the protrusion 42 and tip 42a are also unnecessary.

In this embodiment, the insertion holes 20B and 30 are provided in the main body portion 10B, but the insertion holes 20B and 30 may also be provided in different main body portions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the insertion hole 20B opens to surface 11B, but the thickness of the main body 10B may be increased so that the insertion hole does not open to surface 11B. In this case, the insertion hole opens only to surface 13B.

<Fourth embodiment>
In the first embodiment of the present invention, the embedded block B is peeled off in the order of the front half and the back half of the cassette receiving portion 91, but the embedded block B may be peeled off in a single operation. Hereinafter, a removal jig 4 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the general configuration of the removal jig 4, an embodiment of the present invention. The removal jig 4 mainly has a first lever 50 and a second lever 60.

The first lever 50 mainly comprises a substantially rectangular main body 51 and a rod-shaped grip 54 provided on the main body 51. The main body 51 has a hole 52. The hole 52 has recesses 52b (see Figure 12) and 52c. The grip 54 has a protrusion 55.

The second lever 60 has a rod-shaped grip portion 61 and a protrusion 62. The protrusion 62 has a pointed tip portion 62a. The second lever 60 is rotatably mounted on a rotation shaft 53 provided on the first lever 50.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the process of removing the cassette 101 and embedded block B from the cassette holder 100 using the removal jig 4. Figure 12(A) shows the cassette holder 100 placed on the removal jig 4, Figure 12(B) shows the state in which the tip 62a abuts against the cassette holder 100, and Figure 12(C) shows the state in which the tip 62a is pushed in and the cassette holder 100 is bent.

First, as shown in Figure 12 (A), place the cassette holder 100 on the top surface 51a of the main body 51. At this time, place the cassette holder 100 on the top surface 51a so that the convex portion 91h faces upward, abut the side rib 91e against the concave portion 52b, and insert the cassette holding claw 91g into the concave portion 52c. As a result, the cassette 101 is inserted into the hole 52.

When the operator grasps the gripping portions 54, 61 in this state, the second lever 60 rotates until the gripping portion 61 abuts the protrusion 55 (see the arrow in Figure 12 (A)). As a result, as shown in Figure 12 (B), the tip 62a is pushed into the cassette receiving portion 91 along line l, causing the cassette receiving portion 91 to bend at line l. Because the cassette 101 and embedded block B have high rigidity relative to the cassette receiving portion 91, the cassette 101 and embedded block B are peeled off from the cassette receiving portion 91 without being bent.

The cassette 101 and embedded block B that have been removed from the cassette receiving portion 91 fall along the inner surface 52a of the hole 52 and are ejected from the hole 52, as shown in Figure 12 (C).

According to this embodiment, the operator can remove the cassette 101 and the embedded block B from the cassette holder 100 without having to grasp the cassette 101 and the embedded block B.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment and includes design modifications and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

In addition, in this invention, the term "approximately" does not only refer to cases where the two are strictly identical, but also includes errors or deformations to the extent that the identity is not lost. For example, "approximately parallel" and "approximately perpendicular" are not limited to cases where the two are strictly parallel or perpendicular. Furthermore, for example, when simply referring to "parallel" or "orthogonal," this includes not only cases where the two are strictly parallel or perpendicular, but also cases where the two are approximately parallel or approximately perpendicular.

1, 2, 3, 4: Removal jig 10, 10A, 10B: Main body 11, 11A, 11B: Surface 11a: Recess 12, 12A, 12B, 13, 13A, 13B, 14, 14A, 15, 15A, 16, 16A: Surface 17: Rotation shaft 18: Protrusion 20, 20A, 20B: Insertion hole 21, 21A, 21B: Bottom surface 22, 22A, 22B, 23, 23A, 23B: Side surface 24, 24A, 25, 25A: Side groove 26: Bottom groove 27: Protrusion 28: Recess 28a: Wall surface 29: Plate-shaped portion 29a: Wall surface 30: Insertion hole 31: Bottom surface 32, 33: Side surface 34, 35: Side groove 36: Bottom groove 37: Recess 37a : Wall surface 40 : Rotating member 41 : Plate-shaped portion 41a : Flat portion 42 : Protrusion 42a : Tip portion 43 : Opening 50 : First lever 51 : Main body 51a : Upper surface 52 : Hole 52a : Inner peripheral surface 52b, 52c : Recess 53 : Rotating shaft 54 : Grip portion 55 : Protrusion 60 : Second lever 61 : Grip portion 62 : Protrusion 62a : Tip portion 91 : Cassette receiving portion 91a : Flat surfaces 91b, 91c, 91d, 91e : Side rib 91f : Protrusion 91g : Cassette pressing claw 91h : Protrusion 91i : Slit 92 : Plate-shaped portions 95, 96 : Protrusion 97 : Through hole 100 : Cassette holder 101 : Cassette 101a : Lower surface 101b : Rear end 101c : Front end 101d : Top surface

Claims (7)

a cassette holder having a cassette receiving portion for holding a medical cassette, the cassette receiving portion having a side rib that is rectangular in plan view and provided adjacent to a side surface of the cassette and a flat surface against which the underside of the cassette abuts; and a plate-like portion extending substantially parallel to the flat surface on a first rib that is one of two short sides of the side rib, the plate-like portion comprising:
an insertion hole into which the cassette receiving portion is inserted is provided on the first surface;
a first side surface and a second side surface, which are two opposing side surfaces of the insertion hole, are provided with side grooves into which a second rib or a third rib, which are two long sides of the side ribs, is inserted;
a removal jig characterized in that, when the cassette receiving portion is inserted into the insertion hole and a fourth rib other than the first rib of the two short sides of the side rib abuts against the bottom surface of the insertion hole, a first slit and a second slit provided in the second rib and the third rib on a straight line parallel to the first rib are arranged along the first surface. the first side surface is provided along a second surface adjacent to the first surface,
the second side surface is provided along a third surface adjacent to the first surface and parallel to the second surface;
the insertion hole is exposed on a fourth surface adjacent to the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface, and has a substantially U-shape when viewed along the first side surface and the second side surface;
The removal jig according to claim 1 , wherein the cassette is arranged along a periphery of the insertion hole when the cassette receiving portion is inserted into the insertion hole and the fourth rib is in contact with the bottom surface. The fourth surface is provided with a protruding portion that covers at least a portion of the insertion hole,
The removal jig according to claim 2 , wherein the protruding portion abuts against an upper surface of the cassette when the cassette receiving portion is inserted into the insertion hole and the fourth rib abuts against the bottom surface. The removal jig according to claim 3, characterized in that the insertion hole is exposed on a fifth surface adjacent to the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface, the fifth surface being parallel to the fourth surface, and has a substantially U-shape when viewed along the first side surface and the second side surface. a bottom groove into which the fourth rib is inserted is provided on the bottom surface;
The removal jig according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fourth rib is inserted into the bottom surface groove, thereby causing the fourth rib to abut against the bottom surface. a rotating member rotatably provided on a rotation axis extending parallel to the first surface,
The rotating member has a first contact portion and an opening,
The removal jig according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that when the cassette receiving portion is inserted into the insertion hole and the second rib abuts against the bottom surface, the first abutment portion abuts against the plate-shaped portion, and the cassette is exposed from the opening. 7. The removal jig according to claim 6, wherein the rotating member has a second contact portion provided on the first rib and contacting a cassette pressing claw that engages with the cassette.