Abstract

There is a risk that a specimen is scattered at the time of unplugging because a blood collection tube containing the specimen and being kept decompressed is relieved of the decompression state upon unplugging. When a blood collection tube having a film seal-type plug body is unplugged, the opened plug body portion is grasped, as it is, by a plug opener used for unplugging and discarded along with the plug opener in order to not only restrain secondary infection due to scattering of blood but also to prevent contamination of the next specimen by the preceding specimen thus exposed. Disclosed is a cylindrical unplugging block consisting of an unplugging portion provided with a holding unplugging cutter that opens a plug body, holds an opened plug portion and is fixed to a barrier wall, and a grasping portion for grasping the unplugging block on the side opposite to the opened plug portion with respect to the barrier wall. Furthermore, the unplugging block is characterized in that the holding unplugging cutter has saw-teeth used to open the plug body and to hold the opened plug portion, and may have such a shape that stoppers in the shape of a level difference are provided on the opposite sides and the inside or on the inside of the saw-teeth.

IPC Classes  ?

• G01N 35/02 - Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations
• B67B 7/10 - Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers for removing stoppers with means for retrieving stoppers from the interior of the container