Immunochromatographic test strip constant temperature incubator and incubation method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a constant temperature incubator and incubation method for immunochromatographic test strips, belonging to the technical field of detection instruments. The incubator includes a temperature controller and an incubation base; wherein the temperature controller includes: a circuit board, arranged inside the temperature controller; a heating plate, connected to the bottom of the incubation base, and also connected to the circuit board; a temperature sensor, arranged inside the temperature controller and connected to the circuit board; the incubation base includes: a first heat conduction module, arranged above the temperature controller and in contact with the heating plate, and a humidification tank and a hole-shaped incubation tank are arranged on the first heat conduction module; a second heat conduction module, arranged above the first heat conduction module and fixedly connected to the first heat conduction module; a strip-shaped incubation tank is arranged on the second heat conduction module; a baffle, movably arranged between the first heat conduction module and the second heat conduction module. The present invention can simultaneously control the temperature of the test strip and the humidity of the overall reaction environment, thereby improving the stability of the test results.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of detection instruments, and in particular to a constant temperature incubator and an incubation method for an immunochromatographic test strip. Background Art

[0002] Immunochromatography is a rapid diagnostic technology. Its principle is to first fix the biologically active substance (such as specific antibodies) to a certain zone of the nitrocellulose membrane. When one end of the dry nitrocellulose is immersed in the sample, the sample will move forward along the membrane due to capillary action. When it moves to the area where the biologically active substance is fixed, the corresponding ligand (such as antigen) in the sample will specifically bind to the antibody, thereby achieving specific immunodiagnosis.

[0003] Immunochromatographic test strips are a commonly used form of immunochromatographic technology application, which are widely used in the field of food safety testing and can quickly detect drug residues, fungal toxin residues, etc. in samples. Immunochromatographic test strips have many advantages such as easy operation and high sensitivity, but their test results are often affected by the temperature and humidity of the test environment, which seriously affects the repeatability of the test results in different environments. Constant temperature incubators can solve this problem well, but the constant temperature incubators currently on the market only control the reaction temperature of the microporous part of the test strip, but cannot control the temperature of the test strip and the humidity of the overall reaction environment. The test results will still be abnormal due to changes in the humidity of the test environment. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a constant temperature incubator and incubation method for an immunochromatographic test strip, which can simultaneously control the temperature of the test strip and the humidity of the overall reaction environment, thereby improving the stability of the test results.

[0005] On the one hand, to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips, comprising a temperature controller and an incubation base; wherein:

[0006] The temperature controller comprises:

[0007] A circuit board is arranged inside the temperature controller;

[0008] A heating plate connected to the bottom of the incubation base, and the heating plate is also connected to the circuit board;

[0009] A temperature sensor is disposed inside the temperature controller and connected to the circuit board;

[0010] The incubation base comprises:

[0011] A first heat-conducting module, which is disposed above the temperature controller and in contact with the heating plate, and is provided with a humidifying tank and a hole-shaped incubation tank;

[0012] A second heat-conducting module is arranged above the first heat-conducting module and is fixedly connected to the first heat-conducting module; a strip-shaped incubation groove is arranged on the second heat-conducting module;

[0013] The baffle is movably arranged between the first heat-conducting module and the second heat-conducting module, and the test strip is made to slide from the strip-shaped incubation groove to the hole-shaped incubation groove by pushing and pulling the baffle.

[0014] Furthermore, the temperature controller also includes a temperature display and a temperature setting button, and the temperature display and the temperature setting button are arranged on the panel of the temperature controller, and the temperature display and the temperature setting button are both connected to the circuit board.

[0015] Furthermore, thermally conductive silicone grease is filled between the heating plate and the incubation base.

[0016] Furthermore, the number of the strip-type incubation grooves is the same as that of the hole-shaped incubation grooves, and the strip-type incubation grooves are located above the hole-shaped incubation grooves and correspond to the positions of the hole-shaped incubation grooves.

[0017] Furthermore, a baffle is fixed on the second heat conduction module, and the baffle is arranged outside the strip-shaped incubation groove, and the baffle is perpendicular to the strip-shaped incubation groove.

[0018] Furthermore, a bump is disposed at the bottom of the second heat conduction module.

[0019] Furthermore, a groove is provided on the top of the first heat conduction module, and the shape of the groove is adapted to the shape of the baffle.

[0020] Furthermore, the baffle is a T-shaped baffle, which is arranged in the groove; an arc-shaped baffle and an opening are provided on the baffle, and before incubation, the arc-shaped baffle is located under the strip-shaped incubation groove to support the test strip, and the test strip is made to slide from the opening into the hole-shaped incubation groove by pushing and pulling the baffle.

[0021] Furthermore, it also includes an incubation cover, which is sleeved on the incubation base.

[0022] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a method for incubating using the above-mentioned immunochromatographic test strip constant temperature incubator, comprising:

[0023] Before use, add an appropriate amount of pure water to the humidification tank, cover the incubation cover, set the temperature and preheat;

[0024] Before testing, pull the baffle to the rear of the incubation base, leaving only the arc-shaped baffle at the front, place the polypropylene micropore in the hole-shaped incubation tank, place the immunochromatographic test strip in the corresponding strip-shaped incubation tank, place the lower end of the immunochromatographic test strip on the arc-shaped baffle, add the test sample to the polypropylene micropore in the hole-shaped incubation tank, cover the incubation cover, and start incubation;

[0025] After the incubation is finished, the baffle is pushed out from the rear of the incubation base, and the immunochromatographic test strip slides from the opening on the baffle into the polypropylene microporous sample, and the immunochromatographic reaction begins. After the reaction is finished, the immunochromatographic test strip is taken out.

[0026] One or more technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0027] The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips provided in the embodiment of the present application includes: a temperature controller and an incubation base; wherein the temperature controller includes: a circuit board, which is arranged inside the temperature controller; a heating plate, which is connected to the bottom of the incubation base and is also connected to the circuit board; a temperature sensor, which is arranged inside the temperature controller and connected to the circuit board; the incubation base includes: a first heat conduction module, which is arranged above the temperature controller and in contact with the heating plate, and a humidification groove and a hole-shaped incubation groove are arranged on the first heat conduction module; a second heat conduction module, which is arranged above the first heat conduction module and fixedly connected to the first heat conduction module; a strip-shaped incubation groove is arranged on the second heat conduction module; and a baffle, which is movably arranged between the first heat conduction module and the second heat conduction module. Through the temperature controller and the heating plate, the incubation base is controlled at a constant temperature as a whole, and the humidity of the detection environment is increased by adding water to the humidification groove and continuously heating it. Incubating and detecting in a constant temperature and high humidity environment can reduce the influence of the external environment on the detection results, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving the stability of the detection results. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 It is an exploded diagram of the structure of the constant temperature incubator for the immunochromatographic test strip provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3 It is an exploded view of the incubation base structure of the constant temperature incubator for the immunochromatographic test strip provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the incubation cover structure of the constant temperature incubator for the immunochromatographic test strips provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0032] In the figure: 1-temperature controller; 2-incubation base; 3-first heat conduction module; 4-second heat conduction module; 5-incubation cover; 6-circuit board; 7-heating plate; 8-temperature setting button; 9-temperature display; 10-humidification tank; 11-hole-shaped incubation tank; 12-groove; 13-blocking piece; 14-strip-type incubation tank; 15-baffle; 16-protrusion; 17-arc-shaped blocking piece; 18-opening; 19-screw hole; 20-snap hole; 21-bump; 22-notch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The embodiments of the present application provide a constant temperature incubator and incubation method for an immunochromatographic test strip, which can simultaneously control the temperature of the test strip and the humidity of the overall reaction environment, reduce the impact of the external environment on the test results, and thus improve the stability of the test results.

[0034] In order to better understand the above technical solution, the technical solution of the present application is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] Embodiment 1

[0036] This embodiment provides a constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the incubator comprises a temperature controller 1 and an incubation base 2, and the incubation base 2 is connected to the temperature controller 1 by a snap-fit ​​connection; wherein,

[0037] The temperature controller 1 comprises:

[0038] A circuit board 6 is arranged inside the temperature controller 1;

[0039] A heating plate 7 connected to the bottom of the incubation base 2, and the heating plate 7 is also electrically connected to the circuit board 6; used to heat the incubation base;

[0040] A temperature sensor is disposed inside the temperature controller 1 and electrically connected to the circuit board 6; it is used to detect the temperature and send the detected value to the circuit board 6;

[0041] The incubation base 2 comprises:

[0042] A first heat-conducting module 3 is disposed above the temperature controller 1 and in contact with the heating plate 7, and a humidifying tank 10 and a hole-shaped incubation tank 11 are disposed on the first heat-conducting module 3;

[0043] The second heat conducting module 4 is arranged above the first heat conducting module 3 and fixedly connected to the first heat conducting module 3; the second heat conducting module 4 is provided with a strip-shaped incubation groove 14;

[0044] The baffle 15 is movably disposed between the first heat-conducting module 3 and the second heat-conducting module 4. The test strip can slide from the strip-shaped incubation groove to the hole-shaped incubation groove by pushing and pulling the baffle 15.

[0045] Specifically, the second heat conducting module 4 is fixedly connected to the first heat conducting module 3 by screws. Figure 3 As shown, the top of the first heat conducting module 3 is provided with a screw hole 19, and a screw passes through the screw hole 19 to fix the first heat conducting module 3 and the second heat conducting module 4. The bottom of the first heat conducting module 3 is provided with a buckle hole 20, and the first heat conducting module 3 is buckled with the temperature controller 1 through the buckle hole 20.

[0046] In this embodiment, the temperature controller 1 further includes a temperature display 9 and a temperature setting button 8 for displaying and setting the temperature. The temperature display 9 and the temperature setting button 8 are arranged on the panel of the temperature controller 1, and the temperature display 9 and the temperature setting button 8 are both electrically connected to the circuit board 6. The circuit board 6 is an existing circuit board, and the temperature is controlled by the circuit board 6. For example, when the temperature is higher than the set temperature, the circuit board 6 controls the heating plate 7 to stop heating; when the temperature is lower than the set temperature, the circuit board 6 controls the heating plate 7 to heat, so that the temperature is maintained at the set value.

[0047] In this embodiment, thermal conductive silicone grease is filled between the heating plate 7 and the incubation base 2 , and the heat of the heating plate 7 is transferred to the first thermal conductive module 3 and the second thermal conductive module 4 of the incubation base 2 through the thermal conductive silicone grease.

[0048] In this embodiment, the number of the strip-shaped incubation grooves 14 is the same as that of the hole-shaped incubation grooves 11. The strip-shaped incubation grooves 14 and the hole-shaped incubation grooves 11 are provided in multiple numbers, such as 6, 8, 10, etc., so that multiple groups of tests can be performed simultaneously, which has the advantage of improving the test efficiency. The hole-shaped incubation grooves 11 are arranged horizontally, and the strip-shaped incubation grooves 14 are arranged vertically.

[0049] Furthermore, the strip-shaped incubation tank 14 is located above the hole-shaped incubation tank 11 and corresponds to the position of the hole-shaped incubation tank 11. Specifically, the strip-shaped incubation tank 14 can match and accommodate the test strip, and the hole-shaped incubation tank 11 can match and accommodate the micropore. After the bottom end of the test strip sample enters the micropore, its reaction area can still match the strip-shaped incubation tank 14.

[0050] In this embodiment, a baffle 13 is further fixed on the second heat conduction module 4, and the baffle 13 is arranged outside the strip-shaped incubation groove 14, and the baffle 13 is perpendicular to the strip-shaped incubation groove 14. The baffle 13 does not contact the strip-shaped incubation groove 14, and the baffle 13 is used to prevent the test strip from falling off from the strip-shaped incubation groove 14. The baffle 13 is a transparent baffle to facilitate observation and testing.

[0051] In this embodiment, the incubation base 2 is made of a heat-conducting material, so as to conduct the heat of the heating plate 7 to the first heat-conducting module 3 and the second heat-conducting module 4 to maintain the temperature of the detection environment; the heat-conducting material is preferably aluminum or copper.

[0052] In this embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, a groove 12 is provided on the top of the first heat conducting module 3, and the shape of the groove 12 is adapted to the shape of the baffle 15. Preferably, the baffle 15 is a T-shaped baffle.

[0053] Specifically, the baffle 15 is arranged in the groove 12; the baffle 15 is provided with an arc-shaped baffle 17 and an opening 18. Before incubation, the arc-shaped baffle 17 is located below the strip-shaped incubation groove 14 to support the test strip, and the test strip is made to slide from the opening 18 to the hole-shaped incubation groove 11 by pushing and pulling the baffle 15. By providing a T-shaped baffle with adjustable position, the process from incubation to detection of the immunochromatographic test strip becomes more convenient.

[0054] like Figure 3 As shown, a convex block 21 is provided at the bottom of the second heat conducting module 4, and a protrusion 16 is provided on the T-shaped baffle plate. The convex block 21 and the protrusion 16 cooperate with each other to limit the position, so as to prevent the baffle plate 15 from being pushed out of the groove 12 by excessive force.

[0055] In this embodiment, the incubator further includes an incubation cover 5, and the incubation cover 5 is sleeved on the incubation base 2. Figure 4 As shown, a notch 22 is provided on one side of the incubation cover 5, and the shape of the notch 22 is adapted to the shape of the portion of the baffle 15 extending out of the incubation base 2, so that the portion of the baffle 15 extending out of the incubation base 2 can be accommodated in the notch 22, thereby ensuring that the incubation cover 5 can cover the temperature controller 1.

[0056] It can be seen from the above content that the incubation base 2 can be controlled at a constant temperature through the temperature controller 1 and the heating plate 7, and the temperatures of the micropores and the test strips can be controlled through the first heat conducting module 3 and the second heat conducting module 4 connected together, and the incubation base 2 has an overall reaction temperature; water is added to the humidification tank 10 provided in the incubation base 2 and continuously heated, so that the humidity in the incubator is continuously at a high state, and the immunochromatographic test strips are incubated and tested in this constant temperature and high humidity environment, which can reduce the influence of the external environment on the test results and improve the stability of the test results.

[0057] Embodiment 2

[0058] This embodiment provides a method for incubating using the constant temperature incubator for the immunochromatographic test strip described in Embodiment 1, the method comprising the following steps:

[0059] Step S201: Before use, add an appropriate amount of pure water into the humidification tank 10, cover the incubation cover 5, turn on the machine and set the temperature to 40°C, and preheat for 15 minutes.

[0060] Step S202: Before testing, the T-shaped baffle 15 is pulled toward the rear of the incubation base 2, leaving only the arc-shaped baffle 17 at the front, the polypropylene micropore is placed in the porous incubation groove 11, the immunochromatographic test strip is placed in the corresponding strip-type incubation groove 14, the lower end of the immunochromatographic test strip is placed on the arc-shaped baffle 17, the test sample is added to the polypropylene micropore in the porous incubation groove 11, the incubation cover 5 is covered, and incubation begins.

[0061] The "rear portion" in this embodiment refers to the side farther away from the hole-shaped incubation groove in the front-to-back direction, and the "front portion" refers to the side closer to the hole-shaped incubation groove in the front-to-back direction.

[0062] Step S203: After the 4-minute incubation, the T-shaped baffle 15 is pushed out from the rear of the incubation base 2, and the immunochromatographic test strip slides through the opening 18 into the polypropylene microporous sample. The immunochromatographic reaction begins. After 5 minutes of timing, the immunochromatographic test strip is taken out to read the test result.

[0063] Experimental test: Experimental group A and control group B were set up. Experimental group A was tested by the incubator of the present invention; control group B was tested by a conventional incubator. Experimental group A and control group B used the same samples and immune colloidal gold chromatography test strips, and the comparison results (the results were tested by a colloidal gold card reader, and the values ​​were T / C) were shown in Table 1 under different environments.

[0064] Table 1 Example incubator test results

[0065] Experimental Group Environment 1 Environment 2 Environment 3 Environment 4 Environment 5 Environment 6 Environment 7 CV(%) Experimental Group A 1.625 1.638 1.659 1.609 1.642 1.653 1.619 1.11 Control group B 1.608 1.628 1.739 1.503 1.689 1.702 1.553 5.19

[0066] It can be seen from Table 1 that the immunochromatographic test strips are incubated and tested using the incubator of the present invention, which can reduce the impact of the external environment on the test results and significantly improve the stability of the test results.

[0067] One or more technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0068] The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips provided in the embodiment of the present application includes: a temperature controller and an incubation base; wherein the temperature controller includes: a circuit board, which is arranged inside the temperature controller; a heating plate, which is connected to the bottom of the incubation base and is also connected to the circuit board; a temperature sensor, which is arranged inside the temperature controller and connected to the circuit board; the incubation base includes: a first heat conduction module, which is arranged above the temperature controller and in contact with the heating plate, and a humidification groove and a hole-shaped incubation groove are arranged on the first heat conduction module; a second heat conduction module, which is arranged above the first heat conduction module and fixedly connected to the first heat conduction module; a strip-shaped incubation groove is arranged on the second heat conduction module; and a baffle, which is movably arranged between the first heat conduction module and the second heat conduction module. Through the temperature controller and the heating plate, the incubation base is controlled at a constant temperature as a whole, and the humidity of the detection environment is increased by adding water to the humidification groove and continuously heating it. Incubating and detecting in a constant temperature and high humidity environment can reduce the influence of the external environment on the detection results, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving the stability of the detection results.

[0069] Finally, it should be noted that the above specific implementation methods are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present invention can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention, which should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips, characterized in that: It includes a temperature controller and an incubation base; wherein, The temperature controller comprises: A circuit board is arranged inside the temperature controller; A heating plate connected to the bottom of the incubation base, and the heating plate is also connected to the circuit board; A temperature sensor is disposed inside the temperature controller and connected to the circuit board; The incubation base comprises: A first heat-conducting module is disposed above the temperature controller and in contact with the heating plate, wherein a humidifying tank and a hole-shaped incubation tank are disposed on the first heat-conducting module; and polypropylene micropores are placed in the hole-shaped incubation tank; A second heat-conducting module is disposed above the first heat-conducting module and is fixedly connected to the first heat-conducting module; a strip-shaped incubation tank is disposed on the second heat-conducting module; and an immunochromatographic test strip is placed in the strip-shaped incubation tank; The baffle is movably arranged between the first heat-conducting module and the second heat-conducting module, and the test strip is made to slide from the strip-shaped incubation groove to the hole-shaped incubation groove by pushing and pulling the baffle.

2. The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature controller further comprises a temperature display and a temperature setting button, wherein the temperature display and the temperature setting button are arranged on a panel of the temperature controller, and both the temperature display and the temperature setting button are connected to the circuit board.

3. The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips according to claim 1, characterized in that: Thermally conductive silicone grease is filled between the heating plate and the incubation base.

4. The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the strip-type incubation grooves is the same as that of the hole-shaped incubation grooves. The strip-type incubation grooves are located above the hole-shaped incubation grooves and correspond to the positions of the hole-shaped incubation grooves.

5. The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips according to claim 1, characterized in that: A baffle is also fixed on the second heat conduction module. The baffle is arranged outside the strip-shaped incubation groove and is perpendicular to the strip-shaped incubation groove.

6. The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips according to claim 1, characterized in that: A bump is disposed at the bottom of the second heat conducting module.

7. The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove is provided on the top of the first heat conduction module, and the shape of the groove is adapted to the shape of the baffle.

8. The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips according to claim 7, characterized in that: The baffle is a T-shaped baffle, which is arranged in the groove; an arc-shaped baffle and an opening are arranged on the baffle. Before incubation, the arc-shaped baffle is located under the strip-shaped incubation groove to support the test strip, and the test strip is made to slide from the opening into the hole-shaped incubation groove by pushing and pulling the baffle.

9. The constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: It also includes an incubation cover, which is sleeved on the incubation base.

10. A method for incubating using the constant temperature incubator for immunochromatographic test strips as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: include: Before use, add an appropriate amount of pure water to the humidification tank, cover the incubation cover, set the temperature and preheat; Before testing, pull the baffle to the rear of the incubation base, leaving only the arc-shaped baffle at the front, place the polypropylene micropore in the hole-shaped incubation tank, place the immunochromatographic test strip in the corresponding strip-shaped incubation tank, place the lower end of the immunochromatographic test strip on the arc-shaped baffle, add the test sample to the polypropylene micropore in the hole-shaped incubation tank, cover the incubation cover, and start incubation; After the incubation is finished, the baffle is pushed out from the rear of the incubation base, and the immunochromatographic test strip slides from the opening on the baffle into the polypropylene microporous sample, and the immunochromatographic reaction begins. After the reaction is finished, the immunochromatographic test strip is taken out.

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