Patent Description:
The present disclosure generally relates to a medical fluid container assembling system and method.

Due to disease or other causes, a person's renal system may fail. In renal failure of any cause, there are several physiological derangements. The balance of water, minerals and the excretion of daily metabolic load is no longer possible in renal failure. During renal failure, toxic end products of nitrogen metabolism (urea, creatinine, uric acid, and others) may accumulate in blood and tissues.

Kidney failure and reduced kidney function can be treated with dialysis. Dialysis removes waste, toxins and excess water from the body that would otherwise have been removed by normal functioning kidneys. Dialysis treatment for replacement of kidney functions is critical to many people because the treatment is life-saving. A person with failed kidneys cannot survive without at least the filtering function that replaces the kidneys.

One type of kidney failure therapy is peritoneal dialysis (PD). In PD, a dialysis solution, also called dialysis fluid, is infused into a patient's peritoneal cavity via a catheter implanted therein. The dialysis fluid contacts the peritoneal membrane of the patient's peritoneal cavity. Waste, toxins and excess water pass from the patient's bloodstream, through the peritoneal membrane, and into the dialysis fluid due to diffusion and osmosis, i.e., an osmotic gradient occurs across the membrane. Used or spent dialysis fluid is drained from the patient's peritoneal cavity, removing waste, toxins and excess water from the patient. This cycle may be repeated multiple times.

There are various types of PD therapies, including continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) and continuous flow peritoneal dialysis (CFPD). CAPD is a manual dialysis treatment, where the patient manually connects an implanted catheter to a drain device to allow used dialysis fluid to drain from the peritoneal cavity. The patient then switches fluid communication so that the patient catheter communicates with a bag of fresh dialysis fluid to infuse the fresh dialysis fluid through the catheter and into the patient. Then, the patient can disconnect the catheter from the fresh dialysis fluid bag and allow the dialysis fluid to dwell within the peritoneal cavity, wherein the transfer of waste, toxins and excess water takes place. After a dwell period, the patient repeats the above manual dialysis procedure. In CAPD, the patient is required to repeat the drain, fill and dwell cycles multiple times, for example, four times, a day.

Automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) is similar to CAPD in that its dialysis treatment also includes drain, fill and dwell cycles. However, APD machines perform the cycles automatically, typically while the patient sleeps. APD machines connect fluidly to an implanted catheter, to a bag of fresh dialysis fluid and to a fluid drain.

APD machines pump fresh dialysis fluid from a dialysis fluid source, through the catheter and into the patient's peritoneal cavity. APD machines also allow for the dialysis fluid to dwell within the cavity and for the transfer of waste, toxins and excess water from the patient's bloodstream to the dialysis fluid to take place. Then, the APD machines pumps the used dialysis fluid from the peritoneal cavity through the catheter to the drainage device. APD machines are usually computer controlled so that the dialysis treatment occurs automatically when the patient is connected to the dialysis machines (for example when the patient is sleeping). That is, the APD system automatically and sequentially pumps fluid into the peritoneal cavity, allows it to dwell therein, and pumps the fluid out of the peritoneal cavity, and then repeats the above process.

As with the manual process, several drain, fill and dwell cycles will occur during APD. A "last fill" is usually occurred at the end of the APD treatment, which remains in the patient's peritoneal cavity when the patient is disconnected from the dialysis machines during the day. APD eliminates the need for patients to manually perform the drain, fill and dwell operations.

As mentioned above, both CAPD and APD involve the use of medical fluid containers. For example, the drainage container is used to receive used dialysis fluid from the patient. The drainage container mainly includes a container body and a tube in the form of a coiled catheter. One end of the tube is connected to a container tube of the container body in a sealed manner, and the other end of the tube can be in fluid communication with the patient's peritoneal cavity to drain the used dialysis fluid into the drainage container.

An existing method for assembling a medical fluid container includes the following steps: a worker manually applies an adhesive to a catheter tip portion of the coiled catheter, then uses a tool to elastically expand a port of the container tube, and then inserts the catheter tip portion with the adhesive into the container tube, so that the tube is sealed and joined to the container tube of the container body. However, this manual operation method is inefficient, labor intensive, and costly. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an automated medical fluid container assembling system and method in order to reduce production costs and improve efficiency. <CIT> relates to a medical fluid container forming machine and system, and a medical fluid container fragile object assembling system.

A medical fluid container assembling system and method is provide. The system and method can automatically assemble the container body and coiled catheter, thereby improving the efficiency of assembly.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a medical fluid container assembling system is provided. The system may include: at least one coiled catheter pallet for supporting a coiled catheter, the coiled catheter pallet being provided with a catheter tip receiving portion for receiving a catheter tip portion of the coiled catheter; a coiled catheter preparation unit configured to place the coiled catheter on the coiled catheter pallet in a predetermined posture, and cause the catheter tip portion of the coiled catheter to extend a predetermined length beyond the catheter tip receiving portion; at least one container body pallet for supporting a container body, the container body pallet being provided with a container tube receiving portion for receiving the container tube of the container body; a container body preparation unit configured to place the container body on the container body pallet in a predetermined posture, and cause the container tube of the container body to extend a predetermined length beyond the container tube receiving portion; a container tube expander configured to expand at least a portion of the container tube; a catheter tip gluing device configured to apply adhesive on a predetermined area of the catheter tip portion; and an assembling mechanism configured to align the catheter tip portion applied with adhesive with the at least partially expanded container tube and insert the catheter tip portion into the container tube to a predetermined depth.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method for assembling a medical fluid container is provided. The method may include: supporting a welded coiled catheter on a coiled catheter pallet, a catheter tip portion of the coiled catheter being received in a catheter tip portion receiving portion of the coiled catheter pallet; placing, by a coiled catheter preparation unit, the coiled catheter on the coiled catheter pallet in a predetermined posture, and causing the catheter tip portion of the coiled catheter to extend a predetermined length beyond the catheter tip portion receiving portion; supporting a container body on a container body pallet, a container tube of the container body being received in a container tube receiving portion of the container body pallet; placing, by a container body preparation unit, the container body on the container body pallet in a predetermined posture, and causing the container tube of the container body to extend a predetermined length beyond the container tube receiving portion; expanding, by a container tube expander, at least a portion of the container tube; applying, by a catheter tip gluing device, adhesive on a predetermined area of the catheter tip portion; and aligning, by an assembling mechanism, the catheter tip portion applied with adhesive with the at least partially expanded container tube, and inserting the catheter tip portion into the container tube to a predetermined depth.

In the medical fluid container assembling system and method of the present disclosure, the coiled catheter and the container body are placed, positioned, and adjusted in parallel by an automated device, the expansion of the container tube and the glue on the catheter tip are realized simultaneously, and then the automatic assembling mechanism inserts the catheter tip into the container tube to a predetermined depth, thereby realizing the automatic assembling of the medical fluid container, improving the assembling efficiency, and reducing the labor intensity of the workers.

The above is an overview of the disclosure, and details may be simplified, summarized and omitted. Those skilled in the art should realize that this part is only illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way. This summary is neither intended to determine the key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an auxiliary means to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims, those skilled in the art will more fully understand the above and other features of the content of this application. It can be understood that these drawings and detailed description only depict several exemplary embodiments of the content of the present application, and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the content of the present application. By referring to the drawings, the content of this disclosure will be explained more clearly and in detail.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the drawings constituting a part of the specification. In the drawings, unless the context dictates otherwise, similar reference numbers usually indicate similar components. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter of the present application, other implementation modes and other changes may be adopted. It should be understood that various aspects of the content of the application described generally in the application and illustrated in the drawings can be configured, replaced, combined, and designed with various different configurations, and all of these clearly constitute a part of the contents of the disclosure.

The following will take a drainage container used in peritoneal dialysis therapy as an example to describe a system and method for assembling a medical fluid container. However, a person skilled in the art would appreciate that the system and method described in this disclosure are also applicable to assemble other types of medical fluid containers with a catheter.

Referring to <FIG>, a medical fluid container <NUM> is illustrated. As shown in <FIG>, the medical fluid container <NUM> includes a flexible container body <NUM> and a coiled catheter <NUM> (having been disassembled into two parts). In an example, the container body <NUM> is connected to the coiled catheter <NUM> via a container tube 12a in a sealed manner, and may be used to contain used dialysis fluid. The coiled catheter <NUM> before disassembly is typically formed by coiling two parallel flexible catheters into loops, and then being fixed by spot welding at multiple locations to maintain the coiled state of the coiled catheter <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>). Referring to <FIG>, a catheter tip portion 14a of one catheter of the disassembled coiled catheter <NUM> is connected to the container tube 12a of the container body <NUM> in a sealed manner, the other catheter tip portion 14b of the catheter is connected to the Y-shaped catheter tip <NUM>. One end of the other catheter of the disassembled coiled catheter <NUM> is connected to a dialysate container <NUM> containing the dialysis fluid, and the other end is connected to the Y-shaped catheter tip <NUM>. The outer diameter of the catheter tip portion 14a may be equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the container tube 12a. After the container tube 12a is expanded, the catheter tip portion 14a is inserted into the container tube 12a and is connected to the container tube 12a by adhesive in a sealed manner.

The catheter implanted in the peritoneal cavity of the patient can be optionally in fluid communication with the dialysate container <NUM> or the medical fluid container <NUM> through the Y-shaped catheter tip <NUM>, so as to infuse the dialysis fluid from the dialysate container <NUM> into the patient's body, or drain the waste fluid from the patient's body to the container body <NUM>.

The medical fluid container assembling system and method will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

<FIG> exemplarily illustrate a structure of a medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, <FIG> illustrates a perspective view of the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM>, and <FIG> illustrates a top view of the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> of <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> includes at least one coiled catheter pallet <NUM>, and each coiled catheter pallet <NUM> may support a coiled catheter <NUM>. Further referring to <FIG>, the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> is provided with a catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> for receiving a catheter tip portion 14a portion of the coiled catheter <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> is placed close to an edge on one side of the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> (i.e., the right side in <FIG>). When the catheter tip portion 14a of the coiled catheter <NUM> is received in the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>, the catheter tip portion 14b is placed close to an edge on another side of the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> (i.e., the left side in <FIG>), so that the coiled catheter <NUM> is properly positioned on the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> may include a protrusion <NUM> on which a groove is provided, preferably a groove with a semicircular bottom. The width of the groove is configured to be equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the catheter tip portion 14a, such that the catheter tip portion 14a can be received in the groove.

The catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> may also be implemented in other suitable forms. For example, as shown in <FIG>, a catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>' may include two parallel and spaced protrusions <NUM> and <NUM>, and each of the protrusions <NUM>, <NUM> is provided with a groove, preferably a groove with a semicircular bottom. The width of the groove is configured to be equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the catheter tip portion 14a, so that the catheter tip portion 14a can be received in the groove. In some embodiments, a tool access groove <NUM> may be further provided between the two protrusions <NUM> and <NUM>. The tool access groove <NUM> extends from the edge of the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>' and at least over the grooves of the protrusions <NUM> and <NUM>, such that a catheter tip clamp <NUM> (referring to <FIG> or <FIG>) can easily extend into the tool access grove <NUM> to clamp the catheter tip portion 14a.

In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, a side wall of the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>, <NUM>' close to the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>, <NUM>' may be provided with a side wall notch <NUM>,<NUM>' to avoid interference between the side wall and mechanical components used in subsequent assembly. For example, the side wall notch <NUM>,<NUM>' can prevent the catheter tip clamp <NUM> (referring to <FIG> or <FIG>) from being obstructed during its movement for clamping the catheter tip portion 14a.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> may include a plurality of coiled catheter pallets <NUM>, and correspondingly, a coiled catheter synchronous belt <NUM> is provided for conveying these coiled catheter pallets <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiments, the coiled catheter synchronous belt <NUM> is configured as a circular belt, on which a plurality of coiled catheter pallets <NUM> can be carried. The coiled catheter synchronous belt <NUM> can be driven (for example, by a stepping motor) to move the coiled catheter pallets <NUM> toward a catheter tip gluing device <NUM> (referring to <FIG>).

In some embodiments, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> may further include a coiled catheter preparation unit. The coiled catheter preparation unit is used for placing, adjusting and positioning the coiled catheter <NUM> before the container body <NUM> and the coiled catheter <NUM> are assembled, so that the coiled catheter <NUM> is placed on the coiled catheter pallets <NUM> in a predetermined posture. In the predetermined posture, the catheter tip portion 14a protrudes a predetermined length from the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> (for example, from the outside of the protrusion <NUM> in <FIG>, or from the outside of the protrusion <NUM> in <FIG>), so as to facilitate the assembly with the container tube 12a of the container body <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the coiled catheter preparation unit includes a coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> for gripping the coiled catheter <NUM> welded in a previous process at the coiled catheter feeding station, and transferring it to the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> includes a first gripper <NUM> for gripping the catheter tip portion 14a of the coiled catheter <NUM> and at least three (for example, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>) second grippers <NUM> for gripping an inner circumference of the coiled catheter <NUM>. The gripping portions of all second grippers <NUM> are arranged in the same horizontal plan, so that the gripped coiled catheter <NUM> can be oriented in the horizontal direction. Preferably, the gripping positions of the second grippers <NUM> of the coiled gripping mechanism <NUM> on the inner circle of the coiled catheter <NUM> are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> includes two sets of first grippers <NUM> and second grippers <NUM>, wherein the first gripper <NUM> and the second gripper <NUM> of each set cooperate with each other. In some embodiments, the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> may only include one set of first gripper and second gripper for gripping the coiled catheter <NUM>. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> may include more than two sets of first gripper and second gripper, for example, three sets, four sets and the like, for gripping multiple coiled catheters <NUM> at the same time.

In actual production, the coiled catheter <NUM> may be twisted or poorly welded. It is necessary to identify and discard the coiled catheters with these defects as soon as possible to reduce the scrap rate of the final product. In order to inspect the welding quality of the coiled catheter <NUM>, the operator may perform a visual inspection during the process of moving the coiled catheter <NUM> by the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> to determine the welding quality of the coiled catheter <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the coiled catheter preparation unit further includes a coiled catheter detector <NUM> for automatically detecting the quality of the coiled catheter. <FIG> illustrates a coiled catheter detector <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the coiled catheter detector <NUM> is placed in a conveying path of the coiled catheter <NUM> (in the direction of the arrow in <FIG>), and the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> can make each of the two gripped coiled catheters <NUM> pass by a corresponding coiled catheter detector <NUM> in a horizontal posture. Specifically, the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> grips two coiled catheters <NUM> and then raises them to a starting position of the conveying path. At this starting position (e.g., the left side in <FIG>), each of the two gripped coiled catheters <NUM> is located on the left side of its corresponding coiled catheter detector <NUM>. As the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> moves along the conveying path in the direction indicated by the arrow in <FIG> (i.e., the direction to the right side in <FIG>), the gripped coiled catheter <NUM> on the left passes through the coiled catheter detector <NUM> on the left for detection, and the gripped coil catheter <NUM> on the right passes through the coiled catheter detector <NUM> on the right for detection. The coiled catheter detector <NUM> is configured to detect whether the height of the coiled catheter <NUM> passing through it in the vertical direction (that is, the projected height of the coiled catheter in the vertical direction) exceeds a predetermined range. If the height of the coiled catheter <NUM> in the vertical direction exceeds a certain value, it can be determined that the coiled catheter <NUM> is poorly welded.

In the embodiments shown in <FIG>, the coiled catheter detector <NUM> optionally includes two laser sensors <NUM> and <NUM> that are separated by a certain distance in the vertical direction. The laser sensor <NUM> is disposed at a height lower than the plane where the gripping portion of the second grippers <NUM> is located by a distance h<NUM> and is used to detect whether a twist degree of the coiled catheter <NUM> exceeds an allowable range. The laser sensor <NUM> is disposed at a height that is lower than the plane where the gripping portion of the second gripper <NUM> is located by a distance h<NUM> and is used to detect whether the coiled catheter <NUM> is poorly welded.

When being spot-welded, the coiled catheter <NUM> may be twisted to a certain extent, and various parts of the coiled catheter <NUM> are not in the same plane. If the twist exceeds a certain degree, when the coiled catheter <NUM> passes the laser sensor <NUM>, a part of the catheter body will block the laser beam emitted by the laser sensor <NUM>, so that the laser sensor <NUM> can generate a first detection signal to indicate that the coiled catheter <NUM> is twisted. Otherwise, the twist degree of the coiled catheter <NUM> is within an acceptable range. It could be appreciated that the distance h<NUM> is related to the allowable twist degree, and can be appropriately set according to the requirements of the product quality standard. For example, the distance h<NUM> may ranges <NUM>-<NUM>. It could be appreciated that when the coiled catheter is not severely twisted in actual production, the laser sensor <NUM> can be omitted.

If there is false welding on the coiled catheter <NUM>, a part of the catheter body of the coiled catheter <NUM> may be separated from the rest catheter body and sag under the action of gravity. If the sag distance of the catheter body of the coiled catheter <NUM> exceeds a certain range, the coiled catheter <NUM> is considered to be poorly welded and should be discard. When the poorly welded coiled catheter <NUM> passes the laser sensor <NUM>, the sagging part of the catheter body will block the laser beam emitted by the laser sensor <NUM>, so that the laser sensor <NUM> generates a second detection signal to indicate that the coiled catheter <NUM> is poorly welded. Otherwise, the coiled catheter <NUM> is not poorly welded. It could be appreciated that the distance h<NUM> is related to an allowable degree of poor welding, and can be appropriately set according to the requirements of the product quality standard. For example, the distance h<NUM> may ranges <NUM>-<NUM>.

In the illustrated embodiment, the catheter tip portion 14b of the coiled catheter <NUM> to be connected to the Y-shaped catheter tip <NUM> is not welded to the rest parts of the coiled catheter <NUM>, and will sag under the action of gravity, thereby interfering the laser sensors detectors <NUM>, <NUM>. In some embodiments, in order to prevent the quality inspection of the coiled catheter from being interfered by the catheter tip portion 14b of the coiled catheter <NUM>, the coiled catheter detectors <NUM> can also be provided with a horizontal guide rod <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The guide rod <NUM> extends substantially along the moving direction of the coiled catheter <NUM>, and the height of the guide rod <NUM> is lower than the height of the plane where the gripping portion of the second gripper <NUM> is located, but higher than the height of the laser <NUM>. When the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> passes the gripped coiled catheter <NUM> through the coiled catheter detector <NUM>, the guide rod <NUM> can support and guide the catheter tip portion 14b of the coiled catheter <NUM> to prevent the catheter tip portion 14b from sagging and a false detection caused by the sagging catheter tip portion 14b.

In some cases, a welding spot between the outermost part (that is, the catheter tip portion of the coiled catheter <NUM> to be connected to the Y-shaped catheter tip <NUM>) and the adjacent inner part (hereinafter, referred to as "outer welding spot") of the coiled catheter <NUM> may also be poorly welded, and the outermost part may detach from the rest part under the action of gravity to sag. In the presence of the guide rod <NUM>, the catheter tip portion 14b of the coiled catheter <NUM> is supported by the guide rod <NUM> and will not sag and be detected by the laser <NUM>.

In this case, in order to detect the welding quality of the outer welding spot of the coiled catheter <NUM>, the coiled catheter detector <NUM> may optionally include a distance measuring sensor. The distance measuring sensor can be disposed on the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> at a position aligned with the outermost tube of the gripped coiled catheter <NUM>. The distance measuring sensor can emit a detection beam (such as laser beam, infrared light beam) downward in the vertical direction. In the case where the outer welding spots of the coiled catheter <NUM> are poorly welded while the rest catheters of the coiled catheter <NUM> are well welded, the main part of the coiled catheter <NUM> is roughly on the same horizontal plane, while the outermost tube sags relative to the main part. In this case, the distance measuring sensor can be used to detect whether a distance between the outermost tube and the distance measuring sensor exceeds a distance from the horizontal plane where the coiled catheter <NUM> is located to the distance measuring sensor (equal to a difference between the height of the distance measuring sensor and the height of the plane of the gripping portion of the gripper <NUM>). If the distance measuring sensor detects that the distance to the outermost tube of the coiled catheter <NUM> is greater than the distance to the horizontal plane where the coiled catheter <NUM> is located, it can be determined that the outer welding spot is poorly welded.

When a welding defect is detected on a coiled catheter <NUM> by manual visual inspection or by the coiled catheter detector <NUM>, the relevant coiled catheter <NUM> may be scrapped. In some embodiments, a special coiled catheter waste box may be provided for collecting scrapped coiled catheters <NUM>. The coiled catheter waste box may be disposed downstream of the coiled catheter detector <NUM>, preferably below the end point of the conveying path indicated by the arrow in <FIG>, and therefore, the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> can directly release the first gripper <NUM> and the second gripper <NUM> when passing over the coiled catheter waste box, so that the scrapped coiled catheter falls into the coiled catheter waste box for subsequent processing.

In some embodiments, the coiled catheter preparation unit may further include a buffer belt <NUM> for buffering and moving a plurality of coiled catheters <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the buffer belt <NUM> is configured as a circular belt, which is disposed downstream of the coiled catheter detector <NUM>. The coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> can grip the coiled catheter <NUM> from the coiled catheter feeding station, and transfer the coiled catheter <NUM> to the buffer belt <NUM> after the coiled catheter <NUM> passes the test of the coiled catheter detector <NUM>. The buffer belt <NUM> can receive a plurality of coiled catheters <NUM> and transfer the coiled catheters <NUM> placed thereon toward the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, after the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> passes the gripped coiled catheter <NUM> through the coiled catheter detector <NUM> to complete the welding inspection, the second gripper <NUM> gripping the coiled catheter <NUM> is released, and only the first gripper <NUM> grips the catheter tip portion 14a of the coiled catheter <NUM>, so that the coiled catheter <NUM> is turned from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation. The buffer belt <NUM> is provided with a plurality of buffer clamps <NUM>. When the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> moves the catheter tip portion 14a to a position aligned with the buffer clamp <NUM>, the buffer clamp <NUM> clamps the catheter tip portion 14a, and then the first gripper <NUM> is opened to release the catheter tip portion 14a. At this time, the coiled catheter <NUM> is only clamped by the buffer clamp <NUM>, and the coiled catheter <NUM> is thus transferred to the buffer belt <NUM>.

In some cases, after the coiled catheters <NUM> are transferred to the buffer belt <NUM>, the length of the catheter tip portions 14a extending beyond the buffer clamps <NUM> may be inconsistent, thereby affecting subsequent processing. To this end, in some embodiments, the buffer tape <NUM> is optionally provided with a coiled catheter pre-adjusting mechanism <NUM> for adjusting the length of the catheter tip portion 14a extending beyond the buffer clamp <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the coiled catheter pre-adjusting mechanism <NUM> is placed in the movement path of the buffer clamp <NUM>. The coiled catheter pre-adjusting mechanism <NUM> includes a length sensor <NUM> and an adjusting clamp <NUM>. The adjusting clamp <NUM> can clamp the catheter tip portion 14a and be driven to move the catheter tip portion 14a toward or away from the length sensor <NUM>. When the buffer clamp <NUM> clamping the catheter tip portion 14a moves to a position aligned with the adjusting clamp <NUM>, the adjusting clamp <NUM> is driven to clamp the catheter tip portion 14a. Then, the buffer clamp <NUM> is released, and the catheter tip portion 14a is driven to move toward or away from the length sensor <NUM>. When detecting an end edge of the catheter tip portion 14a, the length sensor <NUM> sends a control signal to stop the adjusting clamp <NUM>, and then the buffer clamp <NUM> clamps the catheter tip portion 14a again and the adjusting clamp <NUM> is opened. At this time, the length of the catheter tip portion 14a extending beyond the buffer clamp <NUM> is adjusted to a predetermined length, and the pre-adjusting operation is completed. Then, the buffer belt <NUM> continues to transfer the pre-adjusted coiled catheter <NUM> toward the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>.

In the embodiment provided with the buffer belt <NUM>, the coiled catheter preparation unit may further include a coiled catheter transferring mechanism <NUM> for transferring the coiled catheter <NUM> on the buffer belt <NUM> to the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> in a predetermined posture. As shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments, the coiled catheter transferring mechanism <NUM> may be a triaxial mechanical arm <NUM>. Accordingly, the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> is supported on the circular belt and can move with the circular belt. After the triaxial mechanical arm <NUM> grabs the coiled catheter <NUM> from the buffer clamp <NUM>, the coiled catheter <NUM> continues to maintain the vertical orientation, and by moving the coiled catheter <NUM> in the horizontal and vertical directions, the triaxial mechanical arm <NUM> can transfer the coiled catheter <NUM> to the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> when the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> supported on the catheter synchronous belt <NUM> is in the vertical state (for example, the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> in the vertical state as shown in <FIG>), and the catheter tip portion 14a is accommodated in the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>.

In other embodiments, the coiled catheter transferring mechanism <NUM> may also be an industrial robot arm. The industrial robotic arm can grab the vertically oriented coiled catheter <NUM> from the buffer clamp <NUM>, and then transfer the coiled catheter <NUM> to a coiled catheter pallet <NUM> oriented horizontally and make the catheter tip portion 14a be accommodated and supported in the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the coiled catheter preparation unit further includes a coiled catheter adjusting mechanism <NUM> configured to adjust the length of the catheter tip portion 14a of the coiled catheter <NUM> on the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> that extends beyond the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> to a predetermined length.

In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, the coiled catheter adjusting mechanism <NUM> may include a catheter tip sensor <NUM>. The catheter tip sensor <NUM> can emit a detection beam (for example, laser beam, infrared light beam) aiming at the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> to detect whether the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> receives the catheter tip portion 14a. If the catheter tip sensor <NUM> detects that the catheter tip portion 14a is received in the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>, the coiled catheter adjusting mechanism <NUM> performs a length-adjusting operation on the catheter tip portion 14a as described below. If it is detected that the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> does not receive the catheter tip portion 14a, the system <NUM> drives the coiled catheter synchronous belt <NUM> to transfer the next coiled catheter pallet <NUM> to the detection position of the catheter tip sensor <NUM> for detection.

Referring to <FIG>, the coiled catheter adjusting mechanism <NUM> includes a coiled catheter vertical positioning device <NUM> and a coiled catheter push plate <NUM>. The coiled catheter vertical positioning device <NUM> has a pressure block that can be driven (for example, by pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical driving devices) to move vertically. When the pressure block is driven to move downward to abut against the top of the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> (for example, the top of the protrusion <NUM>), the pressure block will restrict the vertical movement of the catheter tip portion 14a received in the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>, so as to prevent the catheter tip portion from escaping from the groove during the adjusting process. Then, the coiled catheter push plate <NUM> is driven (for example, by pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical driving device) to push the end of the catheter tip portion 14a that extends beyond the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>, so that the catheter tip portion 14a extends beyond the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> to the predetermined length, as shown in <FIG>. The coiled catheter adjusting mechanism <NUM> may be any device or component that can adjust the length of the catheter tip portion 14a extending beyond the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>.

The specific structure of the coiled catheter preparation unit can be configured as required according to specific applications.

In some embodiments, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> includes at least one container body pallet <NUM> for carrying the container body <NUM> thereon. Referring to <FIG>, a container tube receiving portion <NUM> is provided at a substantially middle position of one side edge of the container body pallet <NUM> for receiving the container tube 12a of the container body <NUM>. In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the container tube receiving portion <NUM> may be configured as a protrusion protruding from the bottom surface of the container body pallet <NUM>, and a groove is provided on the protrusion, especially a groove with a semicircular bottom. The size of the groove is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the container tube 12a, so as to receive the container tube 12a. The container tube receiving portion <NUM> may be in any specific form capable of receiving the container tube 12a.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> further includes a plurality of container body pallets <NUM>, and is provided with a container body synchronous belt <NUM> for conveying these container body pallets <NUM>. The container body synchronous belt <NUM> is configured as a circular belt, and the plurality of container body pallets <NUM> can be carried thereon. The container body synchronous belt <NUM> can be driven (for example, by a stepping motor) to move these container body pallets <NUM> toward a container tube expander <NUM> (referring to <FIG>).

As shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> further includes a container body preparation unit. Before assembling the container body <NUM> and the coiled catheter <NUM>, the container body preparation unit performs a series of processing such as placing, adjusting, positioning on the container body <NUM>, so that the container body <NUM> is placed on the container body pallets <NUM> in a predetermined posture, and the container tube 12a of the container body <NUM> protrudes from the container tube receiving portion <NUM> by a predetermined length.

Referring to 12B, in some embodiments, the container body preparation unit may further include a container body gripper <NUM>, which includes at least one sucker <NUM> and a container body indenter <NUM>. When gripping the container body <NUM>, the sucker <NUM> can suck the uppermost container body <NUM> in a group of stacked container bodies <NUM>, while the container body indenter <NUM> presses the remaining container bodies <NUM> in the group of container bodies <NUM> to prevent the remaining container bodies <NUM> from moving. Referring to <FIG>, an operator may put several groups of stacked container bodies <NUM> (for example, a group of ten container bodies <NUM>) on the feeding belt <NUM>. Preferably, the container bodies <NUM> in a same group are placed partially overlapping each other, so that when the sucker <NUM> grasps the uppermost container body <NUM>, the container body indenter <NUM> presses the remaining container bodies <NUM>. The container body gripper <NUM> preferably has a plurality of suckers <NUM> to simultaneously suck a plurality of parts of the container body <NUM>.

In some embodiments, referring to <FIG>, the feeding belt <NUM> may further include a visual detector <NUM>, which is disposed above the gripping position. Before gripping the container body <NUM>, the visual detector <NUM> is used to visually inspect the surface of the container body <NUM> to detect quality defects (for example, whether there are folded corners, or deformations) and/or placement defects (for example, front-back upside down, top-bottom upside down) of the container body <NUM>. If determining that the container body <NUM> has quality or placement defects, the visual detector <NUM> generates a signal indicating the container body <NUM> is defective to trigger shutdown of the device and generate acoustic and/or visual alarms to alert an operator to deal with the defects.

In some embodiments, the visual detector <NUM> includes a camera device with image recognition function, which determines whether the container body <NUM> is placed in a way that meets the requirements by recognizing characters on the container body <NUM>. In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, the visual detector <NUM> may further include light sources <NUM> and <NUM>. The light sources <NUM> and <NUM> are disposed above the feeding belt <NUM>, and are configured to emit a certain intensity of light to the surface of the container body <NUM> under test to supplement the light on the surface of the container body <NUM>, so that the camera device can recognize the characters printed on the container body <NUM>, thereby further improving the accuracy of visual inspection. As shown in <FIG>, the light source <NUM> is disposed above the conveying path of the container body <NUM>. In order to prevent the feeding belt <NUM> from blocking the conveying of the container body <NUM> when the next group of container bodies <NUM> are transferred to the visual inspection position, the light source <NUM> may be configured to be liftable and lowerable in the vertical direction, so as to be lifted to avoid the container body <NUM> when the container body <NUM> is conveyed.

In some embodiments, the container body preparation unit further includes a container body positioning device <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the container body positioning device <NUM> includes a plate <NUM>, container body positioning blocks <NUM> disposed on two lateral sides of the plate <NUM>, and a positioning bump <NUM>.

The plate <NUM> is substantially rectangular, and the positioning bump <NUM> is fixedly disposed on the rear side edge of the plate <NUM> to limit the position of the container body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction. The container body positioning blocks <NUM> are configured as stoppers protruding upward from the plate <NUM>. One or both of the two container body positioning blocks <NUM> can move relative to the plate <NUM>. After the container body <NUM> is placed on the plate <NUM>, the positioning bump <NUM> can limit the position of the container body <NUM> in the longitudinal direction (approximately along the up-down direction in <FIG>) since it is fixed in position. The two container body positioning blocks <NUM> can move towards each other, so as to push the container body <NUM> to a predetermined position in the lateral direction (approximately along the left-right direction in <FIG>). After the container body <NUM> is positioned at a predetermined position on the plate <NUM> by the body positioning blocks <NUM> and the positioning bump <NUM>, a container tube clamp <NUM> can be used to clamp the container tube 12a of the container body <NUM> supported at the predetermined position on the plate <NUM>, and to transfer the container body <NUM> to the container body pallet <NUM>, so that the container tube receiving portion <NUM> receives the container tube 12a.

Since the container body <NUM> is located at a predetermined position on the plate <NUM> when the container tube clamp <NUM> clamps the container tube 12a, and the container body pallet <NUM> can be adjusted to a fixed position relative to the plate <NUM> in advance, it can be ensured that the container tube 12a protrudes from the container tube receiving portion <NUM> by a predetermined length after the container body <NUM> is transferred to the container body pallet <NUM>.

In some embodiments, in order to further ensure that the container tube 12a protrudes from the container tube receiving portion <NUM> by a predetermined length, the container body preparation unit may further include a container body adjusting mechanism <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the container body adjusting mechanism <NUM> may include a container body vertical positioning device <NUM> and a container body push plate <NUM>. The container body vertical positioning device <NUM> has a pressure block that can be driven (for example, by pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical driving devices) to move vertically. When the pressure block is driven to move downward to abut against the top of the container tube receiving portion <NUM>, the pressure block will restrict the container tube 12a received in the container tube receiving portion <NUM> from moving in the vertical direction, and accordingly prevent the container tube 12a from leaving the groove during the adjusting process. Then, referring to <FIG>, the container body push plate <NUM> is driven (for example, by pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical driving device) to push an end of the container tube 12a extending beyond the container tube receiving portion <NUM>, so that the container tube 12a extends beyond the container tube receiving portion <NUM> to a predetermined length. The container body adjusting mechanism <NUM> may be any device or component that can adjust the length of the container tube 12a extending beyond the container tube receiving portion <NUM>.

The specific functional components of the container body preparation unit can be added or omitted as required according to specific applications.

In some embodiments, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> further includes a container tube expander <NUM>, which is configured to perform a pre-assembly process on the adjusted container tube 12a to facilitate the assembly of the container body <NUM> and the catheter tip portion 14a. Referring to <FIG>, a schematic perspective view of the container tube expander <NUM> is illustrated. The container tube expander <NUM> includes a container tube indenter <NUM> and an expansion head <NUM>. As further shown in <FIG>, the container tube indenter <NUM> is provided with a concave portion with an arc-shaped cross-section, which can be driven to move toward or away from the container tube receiving portion <NUM>. The container tube indenter <NUM> is configured to abut against the top of the container tube receiving portion <NUM>, and when the container tube indenter <NUM> moves to a position where it abuts against the top of the container tube receiving portion <NUM>, the concave portion of the container tube indenter <NUM> and the groove of the container tube receiving portion310 cooperate to fix the container tube 12a relative to the container tube receiving portion <NUM>,so as to prevent displacement of the container tube 12a during the process of inserting the expansion head <NUM> into the container tube 12a. Preferably, the part of the container tube indenter <NUM> that contacts the container tube 12a is made of polyurethane material, so as to minimize damage to the container tube 12a by the container tube indenter <NUM> when the container tube 12a is pressed.

Referring to <FIG>, the head portion of the expansion head <NUM> is configured in a substantially conical shape, and its maximum outer diameter is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the container tube 12a. The surface of the head portion of the expansion head <NUM> can be smoothed, for example, applied with a Teflon coating. When the container tube indenter <NUM> secures the container tube 12a, the expansion head <NUM> can be driven so that the head portion of the expansion head <NUM> can be inserted into the container tube 12a to a certain depth, and thus at least a part of the container tube 12a is elastically expanded. In a period of time after the head portion of the expansion head <NUM> exits the container tube 12a(for example, <NUM> seconds), the elastically expanded container tube 12a can still maintain the expanded state to facilitate the insertion of the catheter tip portion 14a. Any expansion head <NUM> with the function of expanding the diameter of the container tube can be used in the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> further includes a catheter tip gluing device <NUM> configured to apply adhesive (for example, cyclohexanone) on a predetermined area of the catheter tip portion 14a. As shown in <FIG>, the catheter tip gluing device <NUM> includes a first adhesive container <NUM> and a second adhesive container <NUM> that can be engaged with and separated from each other, each of which includes an adhesive storage cavity for storing adhesive. In some preferred embodiments, at least a portion of the first adhesive container <NUM> and/or the second adhesive container <NUM> is provided with a scale <NUM> indicating the remaining amount of adhesive (for example, the outer shell of the first adhesive container <NUM> and/or the second adhesive container <NUM> is made of a transparent material, and a scale is provided on the transparent material). In some embodiments, a fluid level sensor is disposed within the first adhesive container <NUM> and/or the second adhesive container <NUM> for indicating the remaining amount of adhesive, so as to measure the level of the adhesive.

The first adhesive container <NUM> and the second adhesive container <NUM> are respectively provided with outlet ports <NUM>, <NUM> for contacting with the catheter tip portion 14a. Referring to <FIG>, the catheter tip clamp <NUM> can be used to clamp the catheter tip portion 14a to move toward the catheter tip gluing device <NUM>. When the catheter tip portion 14a moves to a position between the first adhesive container <NUM> and the second adhesive container <NUM>, the first adhesive container <NUM> and the adhesive container <NUM> can be driven to move toward each other. When the first adhesive container <NUM> and the second adhesive container <NUM> are engaged with each other, the outlet ports <NUM> and <NUM> are in contact with the catheter tip portion 14a and surround the catheter tip portion 14a, thereby applying the adhesive in the first adhesive container <NUM> and the second adhesive container <NUM> on a predetermined area of the catheter tip portion 14a. Two, three, four or more adhesive containers and outlet ports can also be provided.

In some embodiments, the predetermined area where the adhesive is applied onto the catheter tip portion 14a may start from the end edge of the catheter tip portion 14a. In some embodiments, the predetermined area where the adhesive is applied may start at a distance from the end edge of the catheter tip portion 14a, for example, <NUM>-<NUM> from the end edge of the catheter tip portion 14a. The width of the predetermined area where the adhesive is applied may be <NUM>-<NUM>.

The medical fluid container system assembling system <NUM> further includes an assembling mechanism configured to align the catheter tip portion 14a applied with adhesive with the expanded container tube 12a, and insert the catheter tip portion 14a into the container tube 12a to a predetermined depth.

Referring to <FIG>, the assembling mechanism includes a catheter tip clamp <NUM>, which is used to clamp the catheter tip portion 14a at a predetermined position. For example, the catheter tip clamp <NUM> can approach the catheter tip portion 14a and clamp the catheter tip portion 14a through the sidewall gaps <NUM>, <NUM>' of the coiled catheter pallets <NUM>, <NUM>', so that the catheter tip portion 14a exceeds the length of the catheter tip clamp <NUM>, which is convenient for subsequent gluing process and insertion of the container tube 12a.

While the expansion head <NUM> expands the container tube 12a, the catheter tip clamp <NUM> clamps the catheter tip portion 14a and sends it to the gluing device <NUM> for gluing operation. After the container tube 12a is expanded, the expansion head <NUM> and the gluing device <NUM> are moved downwards, and at the same time, the catheter tip clamp <NUM> clamps the catheter tip portion 14a and moves toward the container tube 12a, so that the catheter tip portion 14a is aligned with the container tube 12a. During this process, the container tube indenter <NUM> still abuts against the container to fix the container tube 12a.

Then, the assembly mechanism controls the catheter tip clamp <NUM> to clamp the adhesive-coated catheter tip portion 14a and insert it into the container tube 12a (the insertion depth can be greater than or equal to <NUM>, and less than or equal to <NUM>, for example, <NUM>), thereby completing the container body <NUM> intubation assembly. The insertion action is completed while the container tube 12a is still elastically expanded.

In some embodiments, an assembly quality inspection mechanism capable of visually inspecting the assembled medical fluid container <NUM> may be optionally provided above the assembly position to automatically detect the quality of the assembly. The assembly quality inspection mechanism includes a camera device with an image recognition function to perform image recognition on the insertion depth and the twist degree of the assembled catheter tip portion 14a and the container tube 12a to determine whether the catheter tip portion 14a and the container tube 12a are properly assembled. If the assembly is determined to be poor, the corresponding medical fluid container <NUM> is scrapped. In some embodiments, a container body waste bin may also be provided to collect the scrapped medical fluid containers <NUM>.

Hereinafter, a method of assembling a medical fluid container according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring to <FIG>, a schematic flowchart of a method <NUM> for assembling a medical fluid container is provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In block <NUM>, the medical fluid container assembling system <NUM> supports the welded coiled catheter <NUM> on the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>, wherein the catheter tip portion 14a of the coiled catheter <NUM> is received in the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> on the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>.

In block <NUM>, the coiled catheter <NUM> is placed on the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> in a predetermined posture by the coiled catheter preparation unit, and the catheter tip portion 14a of the coiled catheter <NUM> extends a predetermined length beyond the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM>.

In block <NUM>, the container body <NUM> is supported on the container body pallet <NUM>, wherein the container tube 12a of the container body <NUM> is received in the container tube receiving portion <NUM> on the container body pallet <NUM>.

In block <NUM>, the container body <NUM> is placed on the container body pallet <NUM> in a predetermined posture by the container body preparation unit, and the container tube 12a of the container body <NUM> extends a predetermined length beyond the container tube receiving portion <NUM>.

In block <NUM>, the container tube expander <NUM> is used to expand at least a portion of the container tube 12a, and the catheter tip gluing device <NUM> is used to apply an adhesive on a predetermined area of the catheter tip portion 14a.

In block <NUM>, the assembly mechanism is used to align the adhesive-coated catheter tip portion 14a with the at least partially expanded container tube 12a and insert the catheter tip portion 14a into the container tube 12a to a predetermined depth.

In some embodiments, block <NUM> of the method <NUM> of the present disclosure further includes: adjusting, by the coiled catheter adjusting mechanism <NUM>, the length of the catheter tip portion 14a of the coiled catheter <NUM> supported on the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> out of the catheter tip receiving portion <NUM> to the predetermined length.

In some embodiments, optionally, the method <NUM> of the present disclosure further includes: before block <NUM>, using the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> to grip the welded coiled catheter <NUM>.

In some embodiments, before block <NUM>, and after the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> grips the coiled catheter <NUM>, the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> is used to make the gripped coiled catheter <NUM> pass through the coiled catheter detector <NUM> in a horizontal posture, and the coiled catheter detector <NUM> is used to detect whether the height of the coiled catheter <NUM> passing through the coiled catheter detector <NUM> in the vertical direction exceeds a predetermined range.

In some embodiments, before block <NUM>, and after the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> grips the coiled catheter <NUM> (preferably, after the coiled catheter detector <NUM> detects the welding quality of the coiled catheter <NUM>), at least one coiled catheter <NUM> gripped by the coiled catheter gripping mechanism <NUM> is received on a buffer belt <NUM> disposed upstream of the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>, and the buffer belt <NUM> is used to transfer the coiled catheter <NUM> toward the coiled catheter pallet <NUM>.

In some embodiments, before block <NUM> and after the buffer belt <NUM> receives the coiled catheter <NUM>, the coiled catheter transfer mechanism <NUM> is used to transfer the coiled catheter <NUM> supported on the buffer belt <NUM> to the coiled catheter pallet <NUM> in a predetermined posture.

In some embodiments, block <NUM> of the method <NUM> of the present disclosure may further optionally include: using the container body adjusting mechanism <NUM> to adjust a length of the container tube 12a of the container body <NUM> supported on the container body pallet <NUM> that extends beyond the container tube receiving portion <NUM> to a predetermined length.

In some embodiments, before block <NUM>, at least one sucker <NUM> is used to grasp the uppermost container body <NUM> in a group of container bodies, while the container body indenter <NUM> is used to press the remaining container bodies <NUM> in the group of container bodies.

In some embodiments, before block <NUM>, and after the container body gripper <NUM> grips the container body <NUM>, the container body <NUM> is pressed against the positioning bump <NUM>, the container body positioning block <NUM> is moved relative to the plate <NUM>, and thus, the container body <NUM> supported on the container body positioning device <NUM> is pushed to a predetermined position on the plate <NUM>.

In some embodiments, before block <NUM>, after pushing the container body <NUM> to a predetermined position on the plate <NUM>, the container tube clamp <NUM> is used to clamp the container body <NUM> supported at the predetermined position on the plate <NUM> of the container body positioning device <NUM> and transfer the container body <NUM> to the container body pallet <NUM>.

In some embodiments, block <NUM> of the method <NUM> of the present disclosure further includes: abutting the container tube indenter <NUM> against the top of the container tube receiving portion <NUM>, and while the container tube indenter <NUM> abuts against the container tube 12a, inserting the expansion head <NUM> at least partially into the container tube 12a.

In some embodiments, after block <NUM>, an assembly quality inspection mechanism is optionally used to visually inspect the assembled medical fluid container <NUM>.

Those skilled in the art can foresee that the blocks described above can be adjusted according to actual conditions, such as adjusting the order of the blocks, or omitting some blocks.

Claim 1:
A medical fluid container assembling system (<NUM>), comprising:
At least one coiled catheter pallet (<NUM>) for supporting a coiled catheter (<NUM>), the coiled catheter pallet (<NUM>) being provided with a catheter tip receiving portion (<NUM>) for receiving a catheter tip portion (14a, 14b) of the coiled catheter (<NUM>);
a coiled catheter preparation unit configured to place the coiled catheter (<NUM>) on the coiled catheter pallet (<NUM>) in a predetermined posture, and cause the catheter tip portion (14a, 14b) of the coiled catheter (<NUM>) to extend a predetermined length beyond the catheter tip receiving portion (<NUM>);
at least one container body pallet (<NUM>) for supporting a container body (<NUM>), the container body pallet (<NUM>) being provided with a container tube receiving portion (<NUM>) for receiving the container tube (12a) of the container body (<NUM>);
a container body preparation unit configured to place the container body (<NUM>) on the container body pallet (<NUM>) in a predetermined posture, and cause the container tube (12a) of the container body (<NUM>) to extend a predetermined length beyond the container tube receiving portion (<NUM>);
a container tube expander (<NUM>) configured to expand at least a portion of the container tube (12a);
a catheter tip gluing device (<NUM>) configured to apply adhesive on a predetermined area of the catheter tip portion (14a, 14b); and
an assembling mechanism configured to align the catheter tip portion (14a, 14b) applied with adhesive with an at least partially expanded container tube, and insert the catheter tip portion (14a, 14b) into the container tube (12a) to a predetermined depth.