A dual-rotation sample loading mechanism

Abstract

The application discloses a double-rotation sample loading mechanism, which comprises a first bearing part, a second bearing part, a first driving part and a second driving part.The first bearing part is used for bearing a specimen tube and is rotatably arranged to drive the specimen tube to rotate to a first position.The second bearing part is used for placing a blood collection tube and the specimen tube and is rotatably arranged to drive the specimen tube to move to a second position close to the first position, so as to facilitate the transfer of the specimen tube between the first position and the second position to realize loading.The first driving part is used for driving the first bearing part to rotate, and the second driving part is used for driving the second bearing part to rotate.The first bearing part and the second bearing part can be independently rotated, and the specimen tube and the blood collection tube to be operated can be quickly transported to the adjacent first position and second position in cooperation, so that the moving path of the mechanical arm for sample transfer and the waiting time are greatly shortened, and the overall efficiency and flux of automatic loading are significantly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laboratory automation equipment technology, specifically to a dual-rotation sample loading mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In modern hospital laboratories or third-party testing labs, the number of biological samples processed daily is enormous. Traditional sample pretreatment and transfer processes, such as transferring samples from raw blood collection tubes to tubes for subsequent analysis, mainly rely on manual operation. This manual approach has obvious drawbacks: first, it is inefficient, consuming significant manpower and time, making it difficult to meet the demands of high-throughput testing; second, repetitive mechanical operations can easily lead to operator fatigue, causing problems such as sample confusion and transfer errors, potentially severely impacting the accuracy of test results; and finally, manual operation also increases biosafety risks. To address these issues, automated sample processing systems have emerged.

[0003] While existing automated systems have improved efficiency to some extent, some systems use linear transport or single-cartridge structures, which may have problems such as complex structure, large footprint, or low coordination efficiency when switching between original sample and target sample tubes, making it impossible to achieve the most efficient sample transfer in a compact space. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, a dual-rotation sample loading mechanism is proposed, which solves the problems of linear transport or single-turntable structures in the background technologies, which may have complex structures, large footprints, or low coordination efficiency when switching between the original sample and the target sample tube.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes the following technologies: A dual-rotation sample loading mechanism includes: The first support part is used to support the specimen tube. The first support part is rotatably configured so as to drive the specimen tube to rotate to the first position. The second support part is used to place the blood collection tube and the specimen tube. The second support part is rotatably configured to drive the specimen tube to a second position close to the first position, thereby facilitating the transfer of the specimen tube between the first position and the second position to achieve sample loading. It also includes a first drive unit for driving the first support unit to rotate, and a second drive unit for driving the second support unit to rotate.

[0006] Furthermore, the first supporting part includes a circular supporting plate, and the second supporting part includes an annular supporting ring that is sleeved around the supporting plate. The supporting plate and the supporting ring are concentrically arranged and rotate around the aforementioned concentric point respectively.

[0007] Furthermore, the bearing ring is located above the base plate and is rotatably connected to the base plate via a support assembly. The support assembly is located in the gap between the bearing ring and the bearing plate, and provides support and limit for the bearing ring and guides its rotational movement.

[0008] Furthermore, the support assembly includes a support block located inside the bearing ring and abutting against the bearing ring. The upper surface of the support block has a support surface with an arc-shaped cross-section. The support surface is arranged around the support block, and the lower inner edge of the bearing ring matches the shape of the support surface.

[0009] Furthermore, several support blocks are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner edge of the bearing ring. The support assembly also includes a support rod for mounting the support blocks. The support blocks are rotatably connected to the support rods. When the bearing ring rotates, it drives the support blocks to rotate through the support surface.

[0010] Furthermore, the support assembly also includes a limiting block located above the support block. The limiting block is disposed opposite to the support block, and the lower surface of the limiting block has a limiting surface that matches the upper edge of the inner side of the bearing ring. A limiting groove is formed between the limiting surface and the support surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the lower surface of the support block and the upper surface of the limiting block are respectively provided with snap-fit ​​grooves, and bearings are respectively snap-fitted into the two snap-fit ​​grooves. The bearings are fixedly sleeved on the periphery of the support rod to provide support for the support block and the limiting block.

[0012] Furthermore, the first support portion also includes specimen holes that are formed on the edge of the support plate and are distributed in a ring shape. The specimen holes are used to insert specimen tubes. The second support portion also includes specimen holes and blood collection tube holes formed on the support ring. A test tube clamp is provided below the blood collection tube hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the test tube clamp is correspondingly provided with the blood collection tube hole, and the test tube clamp is snapped into the snap-fit ​​hole opened on the mounting ring. The mounting ring is fixedly connected to the bottom of the bearing ring, and multiple snap-fit ​​holes are provided and evenly distributed along the circumference of the mounting ring.

[0014] Furthermore, the second driving unit includes a driving gear, and the outer edge of the bearing ring is provided with teeth that match the driving gear. The driving gear meshes with the bearing ring through the teeth. The second driving unit also includes a stepper motor fixed on the base plate for driving the driving gear to rotate.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the comprehensive effects brought about by the present invention include: 1. By setting up a first and second carrier that can rotate independently, the specimen tubes and blood collection tubes to be operated can be transported quickly to adjacent first and second positions in a coordinated manner, which greatly shortens the movement path and waiting time of the robotic arm for sample transfer and significantly improves the overall efficiency and throughput of automated sample loading.

[0016] 2. The concentric nesting structure of the support plate and support ring, along with the design of placing the support components within the gap between them, results in a compact overall structure that saves laboratory space. Simultaneously, the use of a stepper motor-driven gear transmission scheme ensures the accuracy and repeatability of rotational positioning, thereby improving the accuracy of sample transfer and reducing the risk of errors.

[0017] 3. The precision support assembly, consisting of support blocks, limit blocks, bearings, etc., provides stable, low-friction, and high-precision rotational support and guidance for the bearing ring, ensuring the smoothness and reliability of the mechanism under high-speed operation, extending the service life of the equipment, and reducing operating noise. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure without the bearing ring in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a local structure in the middle; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the support component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Legend: 1. Specimen tube; 2. Blood collection tube; 3. Support plate; 4. Support ring; 5. Base plate; 6. Support block; 7. Support surface; 8. Support rod; 9. Limiting block; 10. Limiting surface; 11. Snap-fit ​​groove; 12. Bearing; 13. Specimen hole; 14. Blood collection tube hole; 15. Test tube clamp; 16. Mounting ring; 17. Snap-fit ​​hole; 18. Drive gear; 19. Gear tooth; 20. Stepper motor; 21. Limiting protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0021] In this document, terms such as “up,” “down,” “left,” “right,” and “top” indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0022] This application provides a technical solution for a dual-rotation sample loading mechanism, aiming to solve the problems of low efficiency, complex equipment structure, large footprint, and susceptibility to errors in the transfer process of existing technologies. This solution achieves efficient and rapid alignment of the sample source and target position by setting two independently rotatable support parts, thereby significantly improving the throughput and automation level of sample loading.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a dual-rotation sample loading mechanism includes: a first support portion for supporting a specimen tube 1, the first support portion being rotatably configured to drive the specimen tube 1 to rotate to a first position; a second support portion for placing a blood collection tube 2 and the specimen tube 1, the second support portion being rotatably configured to drive the specimen tube 1 to move to a second position close to the first position, thereby facilitating the transfer of the specimen tube 1 between the first and second positions to achieve sample loading; it also includes a first drive portion for driving the first support portion to rotate, and a second drive portion for driving the second support portion to rotate.

[0024] The dual-rotation sample loading mechanism provided in this application includes a first support unit, a second support unit, a first drive unit for driving the first support unit to rotate, and a second drive unit for driving the second support unit to rotate. The first support unit carries specimen tubes 1 and, through its rotatable configuration, can move any specimen tube 1 it carries to a preset first position. This first position is typically the target position for sample transfer, for example, below a pipetting workstation.

[0025] In conjunction with the first support unit, the mechanism also includes a second support unit. The function of the second support unit is to hold the blood collection tube 2 and the specimen tube 1, and it is also configured to be rotatable. By rotating, the second support unit can move the blood collection tube 2 or the specimen tube 1 it carries to a second position close to the first position. This design allows the source of the sample, such as the blood collection tube 2 in the second position, and the target of the sample, such as the specimen tube 1 in the first position, to be precisely and closely aligned.

[0026] The design aims to decompose the complex long-distance sample transfer task into two simple rotational positioning actions through the independent rotational motion of two carrier units. When sample transfer is required, the first and second drive units can be activated simultaneously or sequentially, driving the first and second carrier units to rotate respectively. This parallel motion mode significantly reduces sample waiting time. By setting the first and second positions to be adjacent, external sample transfer devices, such as pipettes, only need to operate within a very small range, thus achieving a fast and accurate sample loading process. This design not only improves efficiency but also reduces the requirements for the motion accuracy and range of the transfer device, simplifying the overall system structure.

[0027] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, the first support part includes a circular support plate 3, and the second support part includes an annular support ring 4 that is sleeved around the support plate 3. The support plate 3 and the support ring 4 are concentrically arranged and rotate around the concentric point respectively.

[0028] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, to achieve a compact structural layout and optimize space utilization, the first support portion is embodied as a circular support plate 3, while the second support portion is embodied as an annular support ring 4. Figure 1 As shown, the bearing ring 4 is sleeved around the bearing plate 3, and the bearing plate 3 and the bearing ring 4 are designed to be concentric, and they rotate independently around a common center point.

[0029] The aforementioned concentric inner and outer disk structure is an efficient spatial layout for achieving dual-rotation functionality. Its design principle lies in overlapping and integrating two rotating systems on a two-dimensional plane, significantly reducing the overall footprint compared to arranging two separate turntables side-by-side. This design solves the problem of bulky automated equipment, allowing the mechanism to be more easily integrated into space-constrained experimental platforms, achieving both structural compactness and high-density sample processing capabilities.

[0030] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, the bearing ring 4 is located above the base plate 5 and is rotatably connected to the base plate 5 through a support component. The support component is located in the gap between the bearing ring 4 and the bearing plate 3. The support component provides support and limit for the bearing ring 4 and guides its rotational movement.

[0031] In another preferred embodiment, to ensure the stable and smooth rotation of the bearing ring 4, a base plate 5 and a support assembly are introduced. Specifically, the bearing ring 4 is located above a fixed base plate 5 and is rotatably connected to the base plate 5 via the support assembly. The support assembly is disposed within the gap between the bearing ring 4 and the bearing plate 3. This arrangement makes full use of the unused space between the inner and outer discs and avoids increasing the radial dimension of the mechanism by adding a support structure. The purpose of the support assembly is not only to provide stable vertical support for the bearing ring 4, preventing it from sinking or tilting due to gravity, but also to limit its radial and axial movement and guide its rotational motion.

[0032] By introducing independent support components, the load-bearing function and rotational guiding function of the bearing ring 4 are decoupled, which solves the problems of high friction, rapid wear and unstable movement that may occur when a large ring structure rotates directly on the substrate. This achieves long-term stable, low-resistance and high-precision rotational movement of the bearing ring 4.

[0033] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, the support component includes a support block 6 located inside the support ring 4 and abutting against the support ring 4. The upper surface of the support block 6 is provided with a support surface 7 with an arc-shaped cross section. The support surface 7 is arranged around the support block 6, and the lower inner edge of the support ring 4 matches the shape of the support surface 7.

[0034] Furthermore, to optimize the contact between the support assembly and the bearing ring 4 and reduce friction, the specific structure of the support assembly is further defined. The support assembly includes a support block 6 that abuts against the inner side of the bearing ring 4. The upper surface of the support block 6 has a support surface 7 with an arc-shaped cross-section, and the support surface 7 is arranged around the support block 6. Correspondingly, the shape of the lower inner edge of the bearing ring 4 matches the arc-shaped cross-section of the support surface 7.

[0035] By adopting the above structural design, the contact between curved surfaces or between a curved surface and an edge replaces the traditional planar contact, transforming sliding friction into rolling friction or sliding friction with a reduced contact area. When the bearing ring 4 rotates, its inner lower edge can smoothly roll or slide on the arc-shaped support surface 7. By replacing surface contact with line contact or point contact, the rotational resistance is significantly reduced, solving the problems of high frictional torque and high energy consumption in traditional support methods, and achieving a more energy-efficient and smoother rotational drive.

[0036] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, several support blocks 6 are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner edge of the bearing ring 4. The support assembly also includes a support rod 8 for mounting the support blocks 6. The support blocks 6 are rotatably connected to the support rod 8. When the bearing ring 4 rotates, it drives the support blocks 6 to rotate through the support surface 7.

[0037] In a more specific embodiment, to make the supporting force on the bearing ring 4 more uniform, a plurality of, for example, six or eight, support blocks 6 are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner edge of the bearing ring 4. The support assembly also includes support rods 8 for mounting these support blocks 6, which are vertically fixed to the base plate 5. Each support block 6 is rotatably connected to its corresponding support rod 8. When the bearing ring 4 rotates, its inner edge pushes the support block 6 in contact with it, and through the support surface 7, drives the support block 6 to rotate around its own support rod 8.

[0038] The above setup utilizes multiple distributed support points to share the weight of the bearing ring 4 and the sample on it, avoiding stress concentration and improving the rigidity and stability of the overall structure. Simultaneously, the rotatable design of the support block 6 allows it to better adapt to the rotational movement of the bearing ring 4, acting similarly to a driven roller, further reducing friction. This distributed, self-adaptive rotatable support structure solves the problems of easy wear and uneven support from single or fixed support points, achieving stable, low-wear, and long-life dynamic support for the bearing ring 4.

[0039] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, the support component also includes a limiting block 9 located above the support block 6. The limiting block 9 is disposed opposite to the support block 6. The lower surface of the limiting block 9 is provided with a limiting surface 10 that matches the upper inner edge of the bearing ring 4. A limiting groove is formed between the limiting surface 10 and the support surface 7.

[0040] To further enhance the constraint on the movement of the bearing ring 4 and prevent it from radially swaying or axially running during high-speed rotation or accidental impact, the support assembly also includes a limiting block 9 located above the support block 6. The limiting block 9 is positioned opposite the support block 6, and its lower surface has a limiting surface 10 that matches the shape of the inner upper edge of the bearing ring 4. In this way, an annular limiting groove is naturally formed between the limiting surface 10 and the support surface 7 below, and the inner edge of the bearing ring 4 is precisely accommodated and constrained within this limiting groove.

[0041] The design principle of this structure is similar to that of a guide rail. It clamps the inner edge of the bearing ring 4 simultaneously through two opposing surfaces, providing precise positioning in both the vertical and horizontal directions. By forming such a complete limiting groove, the risk of derailment, overturning, or swaying of the bearing ring 4 during movement is effectively prevented. This solves the problems of insufficient constraint and low positioning accuracy in simple support structures, ensuring the stability and safety of the mechanism under high loads and high speeds.

[0042] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, the lower surface of the support block 6 and the upper surface of the limiting block 9 are respectively provided with snap-fit ​​grooves 11. Bearings 12 are respectively snap-fitted into the two snap-fit ​​grooves 11. The bearings 12 are fixedly sleeved on the periphery of the support rod 8 to provide support for the support block 6 and the limiting block 9.

[0043] To further reduce rotational friction, this design optimizes the installation method of the support block 6 and the limiting block 9. Snap-fit ​​grooves for mounting bearings are formed on the lower surface of the support block 6 and the upper surface of the limiting block 9. Bearings 12 are snapped and installed in these grooves, with their inner rings fixedly fitted around the support rod 8. Thus, instead of the support block 6 and the limiting block 9 rotating directly around the support rod 8, this is achieved through the relative rotation of the inner and outer rings of the bearings 12.

[0044] By completely replacing sliding friction with rolling friction, when the bearing ring 4 rotates and drives the support block 6 and the limiting block 9 to rotate, the actual relative motion occurs on the balls or rollers of the bearing 12. By introducing standardized bearings 12, the coefficient of friction and driving torque of the rotating system are greatly reduced, solving the problems of rapid wear, high noise, and frequent lubrication required in bearingless structures. This achieves almost resistance-free smooth rotation and significantly improves the durability and maintenance-free nature of the entire support assembly.

[0045] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, the first support part further includes specimen holes 13 that are opened on the edge of the support plate 3 and are distributed in a ring. The specimen holes 13 are used to insert specimen tubes 1. The second support part also includes specimen holes 13 and blood collection tube holes 14 opened on the support ring 4. A test tube clamp 15 is provided below the blood collection tube hole 14.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, the sample-bearing function of the support plate 3 and the support ring 4 is specifically implemented. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the first support part, namely the support plate 3, has several specimen holes 13 arranged in a ring on its edge area. The size and shape of these specimen holes 13 are adapted to the insertion of specimen tubes 1. The second support part, namely the support ring 4, has two different types of holes: one part is the specimen hole 13, which is also used for inserting specimen tubes 1, and the other part is the blood collection tube hole 14, which is used to place blood collection tubes 2. In order to provide a more stable clamping for the longer blood collection tubes 2 and prevent them from tipping over during rotation, a test tube clamp 15 is specially provided below the blood collection tube hole 14.

[0047] This design allows the inner and outer discs to perform their respective functions while also providing a certain degree of functional redundancy. The principle behind this is customized design based on the size and usage scenario of different sample tubes. By setting dedicated holes and clamping structures, it ensures that all sample tubes are firmly fixed during high-speed rotation. In this way, the problems of poor adaptability and unstable clamping of general-purpose fixtures are solved, achieving safe and reliable support for different types of sample tubes.

[0048] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, the test tube clamp 15 is correspondingly arranged with the blood collection tube hole 14. The test tube clamp 15 is snapped into the snap-fit ​​hole 17 opened on the mounting ring 16. The mounting ring 16 is fixedly connected to the lower part of the bearing ring 4. Multiple snap-fit ​​holes 17 are provided and evenly distributed along the circumference of the mounting ring 16.

[0049] Furthermore, to facilitate the installation and maintenance of the test tube clamps 15, their installation structure has been optimized. Each test tube clamp 15 corresponds to a blood collection tube port 14. These test tube clamps 15 are not directly fixed to the support ring 4, but are snapped into snap-fit ​​holes 17 opened on an independent mounting ring 16. This mounting ring 16 is then fixed to the bottom of the support ring 4 by screws or other means. Multiple snap-fit ​​holes 17 are provided and evenly distributed along the circumference of the mounting ring 16, corresponding one-to-one with the blood collection tube ports 14 on the support ring 4.

[0050] The modular design described above separates the mounting base ring 16 of the test tube clamp 15 from the main rotating component bearing ring 4. Its advantage lies in the fact that the test tube clamp 15, as a vulnerable part or a component that needs to be replaced depending on the type of blood collection tube, can be quickly assembled and disassembled using a simple snap-fit ​​method without disassembling the entire bearing ring 4. By adding the mounting ring 16 and the snap-fit ​​hole 17, the problem of manufacturing complexity and maintenance difficulties caused by directly integrating the test tube clamp onto the bearing ring is solved, enabling rapid replacement of the test tube clamp and flexible system configuration.

[0051] Specifically, a limiting step is provided on the inner wall of the snap-fit ​​hole 17, and a snap-fit ​​ring extending outward is provided on the top of the test tube clamp 15. The test tube clamp 15 achieves initial limiting and fixing through the snap-fit ​​ring and the limiting step. A guide ring is provided below the mounting ring 16 extending along the snap-fit ​​hole 17 to increase the wrapping length of the test tube clamp 15 and improve the installation stability of the test tube clamp 15 and its internal blood collection tubes.

[0052] Furthermore, the guide ring includes multiple spaced-apart guide arc plates, with the bottom ends of two opposing guide arc plates each having a limiting protrusion 21 facing the snap-fit ​​hole 17. Correspondingly, the side wall of the test tube clamp 15 has a snap-fit ​​groove for snapping the limiting protrusion 21. When the test tube clamp 15 is installed, the outer wall of the test tube clamp 15 pushes the limiting protrusion 21, causing the guide arc plate to bend outward until it is installed in place. At this point, the limiting protrusion 21 snaps into the snap-fit ​​groove, thus achieving the snap-fit ​​installation of the test tube clamp 15. This facilitates the disassembly and replacement of the test tube clamp 15 and improves the adaptability and service life of the bearing ring 4.

[0053] In the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this embodiment, the second driving part includes a driving gear 18, and the outer edge of the bearing ring 4 is provided with gear teeth 19 that match the driving gear 18. The driving gear 18 meshes with the bearing ring 4 through the gear teeth 19. The second driving part also includes a stepper motor 20 fixed on the base plate 5 for driving the driving gear 18 to rotate.

[0054] In another alternative embodiment, the specific structure of the second drive unit is defined. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the second drive unit includes a drive gear 18, and the outer edge of the support ring 4 is machined with teeth 19 that match the drive gear 18. The drive gear 18 transmits power to the support ring 4 through meshing with the teeth 19. In addition, the second drive unit also includes a stepper motor 20 fixed on the base plate 5 for precisely driving the drive gear 18 to rotate.

[0055] Gear meshing transmission is a classic and reliable precise angular displacement control scheme. Its principle is to utilize the stepper motor 20's ability to receive pulse signals and convert them into precise step angles, which are then transmitted to the carrier ring 4 via gear transmission. By controlling the number of pulses sent to the stepper motor 20, the rotation angle of the carrier ring 4 can be controlled with extremely high precision. This design solves the problem of traditional motors' difficulty in precise positioning, achieving micron-level repeatability in positioning the second position, which is crucial for ensuring the success rate of sample transfer.

[0056] The following detailed description of the dual-rotation sample loading mechanism of this application will be provided through a specific embodiment. It should be noted that this embodiment is a comprehensive manifestation based on all the foregoing technical solutions, intended to demonstrate a complete and operable device form, but does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0057] As shown in the attached diagram, this embodiment provides a dual-rotation sample loading mechanism. The core of this mechanism is a concentric dual-rotor system built on a base plate 5. A first drive unit, such as a precision brushless DC motor, is installed in the central region of the base plate 5, with its output axis extending upwards and directly connected to the first support unit. The first support unit is a circular support plate 3 with multiple specimen holes 13 evenly spaced along its circumference for placing specimen tubes 1. Driven by the first drive unit, the support plate 3 can rotate independently, precisely positioning any one of its specimen holes 13 to a first position.

[0058] A concentric annular support ring 4 is arranged on the outside of the support plate 3. The inner diameter of the support ring 4 is larger than the outer diameter of the support plate 3, with a gap between them for mounting the support assembly. A ring of gear teeth 19 matching the drive gear 18 is machined on the outer edge of the support ring 4. Two types of holes are formed on the upper surface of the support ring 4: blood collection tube holes 14 arranged in a ring on the inner side for placing blood collection tubes 2, and specimen holes 13 arranged in a ring on the outer side for placing spare specimen tubes 1. The rotation of the support ring is controlled by the second drive unit.

[0059] The second drive unit consists of a stepper motor 20 fixed to the base plate 5 and a drive gear 18. The output shaft of the stepper motor 20 is connected to the drive gear 18, which precisely meshes with the teeth 19 on the outer side of the support ring 4. By controlling the stepping pulses of the stepper motor 20, the support ring 4 can be driven to rotate with extremely high precision, thereby positioning any one of the blood collection tube holes 14 or specimen holes 13 on it to a second position. This second position is spatially close to the first position; for example, the center distance between them is only 30 mm.

[0060] The stable rotation of the bearing ring 4 is ensured by a support assembly located on the inner side. This support assembly comprises six circumferentially distributed support units. Each support unit is centered on a support rod 8 fixed to the base plate 5. On each support rod 8, a lower support block 6 and an upper limiting block 9 are rotatably mounted via two deep groove ball bearings 12. Both the support block 6 and the limiting block 9 are made of a high-polymer wear-resistant material (such as MC nylon).

[0061] The upper surface of the support block 6 has an arc-shaped support surface 9 for supporting the lower surface of the inner edge of the bearing ring 4. The lower surface of the limiting block 9 has a matching limiting surface 10 for constraining the upper surface of the inner edge of the bearing ring 4. The limiting groove formed by the two together tightly wraps the inner edge of the bearing ring 4, providing vertical support and axial limiting, as well as horizontal radial limiting. Since both the support block 6 and the limiting block 9 are connected to the fixed support rod 8 through the bearing 12, they can act as driven rollers to follow the rotation when the bearing ring 4 rotates, greatly reducing frictional resistance.

[0062] To reliably hold the blood collection tube 2, an aluminum alloy mounting ring 16 is bolted to the bottom of the support ring 4. This mounting ring 16 has multiple snap-fit ​​holes 17 corresponding to the positions of the blood collection tube holes 14. A flexible plastic test tube clamp 15 is securely engaged in these snap-fit ​​holes 17 via a snap-fit ​​structure at its base. After the blood collection tube 2 passes through the blood collection tube hole 14, its lower half is elastically held by the test tube clamp 15, ensuring stability and preventing wobbling during high-speed rotation.

[0063] The complete workflow of this embodiment is as follows: First, the operator or upstream automated equipment places a batch of blood collection tubes 2 to be processed into the blood collection tube holes 14 of the support ring 4, and places empty specimen tubes 1 into the specimen holes 13 of the support plate 3 and the support ring 4. When the central control system issues a sample transfer command, for example, it needs to transfer the sample from blood collection tube No. 1 to specimen tube No. 30.

[0064] The controller immediately sends commands to the first and second drive units. The stepper motor 20 of the second drive unit rotates a specified number of steps, driving the support ring 4 via the drive gear 18 and gear teeth 19, precisely moving the No. 1 blood collection tube 2 to the second position, for example, directly below the pipette arm. Almost simultaneously, the first drive unit drives the support plate 3 to rotate, precisely moving the No. 30 specimen tube 1 to the adjacent first position. The movements of the two turntables can partially or completely overlap, greatly saving positioning time.

[0065] Once both sample tubes have reached their designated positions, the pipette arm performs aspiration and dispensing operations, completing the sample transfer. During pipetting, the controller can already calculate the rotation angle required for the next task, such as transferring from tube 2 to tube 31, and can immediately initiate the next rotation positioning after the current task is completed. This dual-disc linkage and parallel processing working mode increases sample loading throughput several times compared to single-disc systems or linear transfer systems.

[0066] In one alternative implementation, "transfer" can also be understood as the physical transfer of the sample tube itself. For example, a pre-processed sample tube 1 can be placed on the support ring 4, and when needed, the support ring 4 rotates to bring the sample tube 1 to a second position. Subsequently, a robotic arm can pick up the sample tube 1 from the second position and place it into the empty slot at the first position on the support plate 3, or vice versa. This method can be used for sorting, sequencing, or transferring sample tubes between different processing units.

[0067] By interpreting "transfer" as either the transfer of sample liquid or the physical transfer of sample tubes, the scope of protection of this invention is expanded to adapt to more diverse automated process requirements, thereby achieving more flexible sample processing functions.

[0068] This embodiment, by combining all the above-mentioned technical features, achieves the following significant comprehensive technical effects: 1. High processing efficiency: The design of independent rotation and parallel positioning of the dual bearing units greatly shortens sample turnaround time. Compared to scenarios where a single large turntable needs to rotate half a circle to be aligned, this solution greatly improves sample processing throughput through the coordinated short-distance rotation of the inner and outer discs. 2. High positioning accuracy and stability: The second drive unit, composed of a stepper motor and gear transmission, combined with the stable guidance provided by the support components, ensures high repeatability of the bearing ring 4 and eliminates wobbling during high-speed start-stop, guaranteeing the success rate of automated pipetting. 3. Compact structure: The concentric inner and outer disc design, along with the arrangement of the support components within the disc gaps, allows the entire mechanism to have a large sample carrying capacity while occupying a very small footprint, making it easy to integrate into existing laboratory automation lines. 4. High durability and low maintenance cost: The extensive use of bearings 12 and wear-resistant materials in the support components minimizes rotational friction, significantly reducing component wear and drive energy consumption. The modular design of the test tube clamp 15 and mounting ring 16 makes the replacement of vulnerable parts simple and quick, reducing long-term maintenance costs.

[0069] The dual-rotation sample loading mechanism provided in this application can be widely used in various automated scenarios requiring large-volume tube sample transfer. In clinical testing laboratories in the medical field, it can serve as the core module for pre-processing in fully automated biochemical and immunoassay analysis lines, automatically dispensing serum or plasma samples from raw blood collection tubes 2 into multiple specimen tubes 1 for different testing items, achieving unattended sample pre-processing.

[0070] In the R&D laboratories of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, this device can be used for high-throughput screening (HTS) processes. For example, it can rapidly and accurately transfer different compound samples from a compound library from storage tubes to reaction tubes or microplates for drug activity screening. Its high efficiency and precision can significantly accelerate the new drug development process.

[0071] This system is also applicable to testing institutions specializing in food safety and environmental monitoring. It can automatically transfer large quantities of pre-treated sample extract from extraction tubes to vials used for chromatographic or mass spectrometric analysis, reducing errors and contamination risks associated with manual operation and improving the reliability and traceability of test results.

[0072] Furthermore, the mechanism design of this application has excellent scalability. By replacing the support plate 3 and support ring 4 with different apertures and clamps, it can easily adapt to sample tubes of different diameters and heights, such as centrifuge tubes, cryovials, and chromatographic bottles. The support section can even be designed as a platform for holding microplates, thereby expanding the application from tubular samples to plate sample processing. This flexibility enables the present invention to meet the diverse automated sample processing needs of different industries and application scenarios.

[0073] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural modifications made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

[0074] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "setting," "connection," "fixing," "rotation," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Unless otherwise explicitly limited, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0075] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A dual-rotation sample loading mechanism, characterized in that, include: The first support part is used to support the specimen tube. The first support part is rotatably configured so as to drive the specimen tube to rotate to the first position. The second support part is used to place the blood collection tube and the specimen tube. The second support part is rotatably configured to drive the specimen tube to a second position close to the first position, thereby facilitating the transfer of the specimen tube between the first position and the second position to achieve sample loading. It also includes a first drive unit for driving the first support unit to rotate, and a second drive unit for driving the second support unit to rotate.

2. The dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first supporting part includes a circular supporting plate, and the second supporting part includes an annular supporting ring that is sleeved around the supporting plate. The supporting plate and the supporting ring are concentrically arranged and rotate around the concentric point respectively.

3. The dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bearing ring is located above the base plate and is rotatably connected to the base plate through a support assembly. The support assembly is located in the gap between the bearing ring and the bearing plate. The support assembly provides support and limit for the bearing ring and guides its rotational movement.

4. The dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support assembly includes a support block located inside the support ring and abutting against the support ring. The upper surface of the support block has a support surface with an arc-shaped cross-section. The support surface is arranged around the support block, and the lower inner edge of the support ring matches the shape of the support surface.

5. The dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support blocks are evenly arranged in a plurality of circumferential directions along the inner edge of the bearing ring. The support assembly also includes a support rod for mounting the support blocks. The support blocks are rotatably connected to the support rods. When the bearing ring rotates, it drives the support blocks to rotate through the support surface.

6. The dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support assembly also includes a limiting block located above the support block. The limiting block is disposed opposite to the support block. The lower surface of the limiting block has a limiting surface that matches the upper edge of the inner side of the bearing ring. A limiting groove is formed between the limiting surface and the support surface.

7. A dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lower surface of the support block and the upper surface of the limiting block are respectively provided with snap-fit ​​grooves, and bearings are respectively snap-fitted into the two snap-fit ​​grooves. The bearings are fixedly sleeved on the outside of the support rod to provide support for the support block and the limiting block.

8. The dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first support part also includes specimen holes that are opened on the edge of the support plate and are distributed in a ring. The specimen holes are used to insert specimen tubes. The second support part also includes specimen holes and blood collection tube holes opened on the support ring. A test tube clamp is provided below the blood collection tube hole.

9. A dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, The test tube clamp is provided corresponding to the blood collection tube hole. The test tube clamp is snapped into the snap hole opened on the mounting ring. The mounting ring is fixedly connected to the bottom of the bearing ring. Multiple snap holes are provided and are evenly distributed along the circumference of the mounting ring.

10. A dual-rotation sample loading mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second driving unit includes a driving gear, and the outer edge of the bearing ring is provided with teeth that match the driving gear. The driving gear meshes with the bearing ring through the teeth. The second driving unit also includes a stepper motor fixed on the base plate for driving the driving gear to rotate.

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