Robot pressing mechanism, nasopharyngeal swab sampling apparatus including the same, and nasopharyngeal swab sampling method using the same

A nasopharyngeal swab sampling apparatus comprising:

• a pressing device;
• a support device that moves in a first direction relative to the pressing device;
• and
• a flat spring that has one end fixed to the pressing device and the other end fixed to the support device,
• wherein the pressing device comprises:
• a swab coupling member;
• and
• a swab which is coupled to the swab coupling member and extends from the swab coupling member in the first direction,
• wherein the support device comprises a guide member that is spaced apart from the swab coupling member in a direction crossing the first direction, and
• the flat spring coupled to the pressing device and the support device extends from the one end of the flat spring in the first direction and then bent toward the guide member to extend toward the other end of the flat spring in the opposite direction from the first direction.

A nasopharyngeal swab sampling method comprising:

• aligning a swab of a robot pressing mechanism in front of the nasal cavity of the human body;
• moving the swab, which is aligned in front of the nasal cavity, in a first direction to insert the swab into the nasal cavity;
• and
• pressing the human body by using the swab in a state in which the swab is inserted into the nasal cavity,
• wherein the robot pressing mechanism comprises:
• a swab coupling member which extends in the first direction and to which the swab is fixed;
• a support device that moves in the first direction relative to the swab coupling member;
• and
• a flat spring configured to connect the swab coupling member to the support device,
• wherein the pressing of the human body by using the swab comprises:
• moving the support device in the first direction;
• and
• elastically deforming the flat spring by using the support device that moves in the first direction.