Manual injector with controllable injection volume and injection method and application thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of sample injectors, and discloses a manual sample injector with controllable injection volume, a sample injection method and an application thereof. The manual sample injector comprises a sample pool (2), a sample pool cover (1) and a sample outlet (3); the sample pool cover (1) seals the sample pool (2) to form a sample cavity, and the sample outlet (3) is located on the side of the sample pool (2) opposite to the sample pool cover (1). The volume of the sample cavity can be changed by moving the sample pool cover (1), and the sample in the sample cavity can be pressed out through the sample outlet (3). The manual sample injector of the present invention uses a method of manually compressing air to increase the pressure for sample injection, and the pressure change is gentle and controllable, avoiding the phenomenon of unstable injection caused by pressure fluctuations, and avoiding the use of external sample injection equipment, which greatly reduces the volume of the sample injection device and the system complexity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of sample injectors, and in particular to a manual sample injector with controllable injection volume, a sample injection method and applications thereof. Background Art

[0002] While the development of the world economy and industry has brought great convenience to mankind, it has also led to an increase in the number and types of pollutant emissions, and environmental problems have become increasingly serious. While vigorously developing various types of high-precision analytical instruments and detection technologies, small portable, simple and fast analytical technologies have also become a major research hotspot to supplement the shortcomings of large instruments that are difficult to use for on-site detection due to cumbersome operation, large maintenance workload, and high requirements for laboratory environment.

[0003] The micro-total analysis system, also known as the chip laboratory, is an analytical technology that aims to integrate all laboratory functions on a single chip. It shows excellent prospects in the miniaturization, portability and automation of analytical technology, and has become a major research hotspot in recent years.

[0004] The process of introducing samples into the micro-total analysis system has a great impact on the entire analysis process and results. At present, the injection of the micro-total analysis system is generally carried out with the help of pressure difference, such as using a micropump to increase the pressure at the injection end or using a centrifugal pump to reduce the pressure at the inflow end. The introduction process often fluctuates due to the large pressure difference, and the volume of these devices is much larger than that of the micro-total analysis chip, which greatly increases the volume and complexity of the micro-total analysis system. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the problems of the prior art such as the complexity and large size of the sample injector device, and to provide a manual sample injector and a sample injection method with controllable injection volume and their applications. The manual sample injector injects samples by manually compressing air to increase the pressure, and the pressure change is gentle and controllable, avoiding the phenomenon of unstable injection caused by pressure fluctuations, and avoiding the use of external sample injection equipment, thereby greatly reducing the volume of the sample injection device and the system complexity.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a manual injector with controllable injection volume on one hand, which includes a sample pool, a sample pool cover and a sample outlet; the sample pool cover seals the sample pool to form a sample cavity, and the sample outlet is located on the side of the sample pool opposite to the sample pool cover, and the volume of the sample cavity can be changed by moving the sample pool cover, and the sample in the sample cavity can be pressed out through the sample outlet.

[0007] Preferably, a scale is provided on the side wall of the sample pool, and the scale is used to indicate the relative position of the sample pool cover and the sample pool.

[0008] Preferably, the sample cell cover is detachably connected to the sample cell.

[0009] Preferably, the sample pool and the sample pool cover are both cylindrical.

[0010] Preferably, the sample pool cover is screwed to the sample pool.

[0011] Preferably, the sample outlet is arranged at a middle portion of a side of the sample pool opposite to the sample pool cover.

[0012] Preferably, the sample outlet has a threaded structure or a flexible sealing component; more preferably, the threaded structure is an internal threaded structure or an external threaded structure; more preferably, the flexible sealing component is a rubber plug.

[0013] Preferably, the sample outlet portion includes a sample outlet channel.

[0014] Preferably, the sample pool is a transparent or translucent sample pool, and the sample pool cover is a transparent or translucent sample pool cover.

[0015] Preferably, a sample processing component is provided at the bottom of the sample pool.

[0016] More preferably, the sample processing component is one or more of a sample filtering component, a sample enriching component and a sample separating component.

[0017] A second aspect of the present invention provides a microfluidic chip, wherein the microfluidic chip has an injection port, and the injection port is provided with a thread structure, and the thread structure matches the thread structure of the manual injector mentioned above.

[0018] The third aspect of the present invention provides a manual injection method with controllable injection volume, which comprises moving the sample pool cover of the manual injector to press the sample in the sample cavity out through the sample outlet.

[0019] Preferably, the sample pool cover is screwed to the sample pool, and the sample pool cover is moved by rotating the sample pool cover.

[0020] Preferably, the method comprises: determining the volume of the sample squeezed out through the sample outlet by means of a scale provided on a side wall of the sample pool.

[0021] Preferably, the method comprises: screwing the manual injector to the microfluidic chip according to claim 9, so that the sample in the manual injector enters the microfluidic chip.

[0022] The fourth aspect of the present invention also provides the application of the above-mentioned manual injector, the above-mentioned microfluidic chip or the above-mentioned manual injection method in the fields of environmental pollutant detection, in vitro diagnosis, micro-total analysis chip, etc.

[0023] Through the above technical scheme, compared with the prior art, the manual injector with controllable injection volume provided by the present invention has the following technical effects: 1) the injection process is completed manually, avoiding the use of external equipment such as a micropump, and greatly reducing the volume and complexity of the micro-total analysis system; 2) the injection pressure is changed by manually rotating the position of the threaded structure, so that the pressure change is gentle and controllable; 3) the rotatable threaded structure can effectively fix the position, preventing the pressure increase in the chip from causing the nut to rise, causing pressure fluctuations to affect the injection effect; 4) the bottom of the manual injector is connected to the chip with a threaded structure, which increases the convenience of loading and unloading and the airtightness of the connection between the two, and effectively prevents the occurrence of sample overflow during injection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the sample loading state of the manual sample injector with controllable injection volume of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the manual injector with controllable injection volume of the present invention in use state;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the microfluidic chip of the present invention.

[0027] Description of Reference Numerals

[0028] 1. Sample pool cover 2. Sample pool 3. Sample outlet

[0029] 4. External thread 5. Inlet 6. First reaction pool

[0030] 7. Second reaction pool 8. Sample outlet channel DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The endpoints and any values ​​of the ranges disclosed in this article are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and these ranges or values ​​should be understood to include values ​​close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values ​​of each range, the endpoint values ​​of each range and the individual point values, and the individual point values ​​can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed in this article.

[0032] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, directional words such as "upper, lower, left, and right" generally refer to the upper, lower, left, and right in the drawings.

[0033] According to the manual injector with controllable injection volume of the present invention, Figure 1-2As shown, the manual injector includes a sample pool 2, a sample pool cover 1 and a sample outlet 3; the sample pool cover 1 seals the sample pool 2 to form a sample cavity, and the sample outlet 3 is located on the side of the sample pool 2 opposite to the sample pool cover 1. The volume of the sample cavity can be changed by moving the sample pool cover 1, and the sample in the sample cavity can be pressed out through the sample outlet 3.

[0034] In the present invention, if Figure 1 Open the sample pool cover 1 as shown, place the sample in the sample pool, and move the sample pool cover 1, as shown in Figure 2 As shown, the sample can be pressed out from the manual injector under the action of pressure, thereby completing the injection process. By appropriately moving the sample pool cover, the purpose of controlling the injection volume can be achieved. The sample outlet 3 can be configured to protrude from the sample pool 2, or it can be configured inside the sample pool, for example, the bottom of the sample outlet 3 is flush with the bottom of the sample pool.

[0035] In order to conveniently and intuitively determine the specific injection volume, preferably, a scale is provided on the side wall of the sample pool 2, and the scale is used to indicate the relative position of the sample pool cover 1 and the sample pool 2. That is, the scale indicates the volume of the sample chamber. By setting a scale to display the relative position of the sample pool cover 1 and the sample pool 2, the sample addition amount can be intuitively judged during the sample addition process, thereby determining the injection volume. In order to inject more accurately, the size of the sample pool 2 and the sample pool cover 1 can be selected according to the required injection volume, so that the scale can more accurately display the position of the sample pool cover 1, that is, when a smaller injection amount is required, a sample pool 2 with a smaller cross-sectional area and a larger height is selected.

[0036] In the present invention, the scale can be set according to the amount of sample to be added. In order to ensure that the scale accurately displays the volume of the added sample, the scale can be unevenly set according to the volume of the sample and air inside the sample chamber.

[0037] According to the present invention, in order to facilitate adding samples to the manual sample injector, the sample pool cover 1 is detachably connected to the sample pool 2. When it is necessary to add samples, the sample pool cover 1 is opened, such as Figure 1 As shown, after adding the sample, the sample pool 2 is closed again.

[0038] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to facilitate the movement of the sample pool cover 1, the sample pool 2 and the sample pool cover 1 are both columnar, and more preferably both cylindrical. Specifically, the sample pool 2 and the sample pool cover 1 can be formed into a sleeve structure, wherein the sample pool cover 1 can serve as an outer cylinder or an inner cylinder. From the perspective of facilitating sample addition, it is preferred that the sample pool cover 1 serves as an outer cylinder and the sample pool 2 serves as an inner cylinder.

[0039] In the present invention, there is no special limitation on the connection method between the sample pool cover 1 and the sample pool 2. For example, the sample pool 2 and the sample pool cover 1 can be formed into a sleeve structure, and an external thread is formed on the inner cylinder, and an internal thread matching the internal thread is formed on the outer cylinder. The sample pool cover 1 is screwed to the sample pool 2 through the above-mentioned thread structure. At this time, the volume of the sample chamber can be changed by rotating the sample pool cover 1. By screwing the sample pool cover 1 to the sample pool 2, the process of rotating the sample pool cover 1 can be easier to control, thereby making it easier to accurately control the loading process. In the process of screwing the sample pool cover 1, the sample pool cover 1 can be fixed at any position, and even if it is released, the position of the sample pool cover 1 will be stuck by the thread, and will not retreat, thereby ensuring the stability of the pressure in the sample pool and preventing the liquid in the micro-total analysis chip from flowing back.

[0040] In the present invention, a soft sealing component (such as a rubber sealing ring, etc.) can also be provided on the sample pool cover 1 or the sample pool 2 to achieve the purpose of sealing and forming a sample cavity. At this time, the volume of the sample cavity can be changed by pulling the sample pool cover 1 to complete the sampling process.

[0041] According to the present invention, the position of the sample outlet 3 is not particularly limited, and is preferably disposed in the middle portion of the sample pool 2 on a side opposite to the sample pool cover 1 .

[0042] According to the present invention, in order to ensure that all samples enter the device to be loaded (such as a microfluidic chip) during the loading process, it is preferred that the loading portion is sealed and connected to the device to be loaded. Specifically, the sample outlet portion 3 can have a threaded structure or a flexible sealing component, so that the loading portion can be screwed to the device to be loaded or the interface portion can be sealed by a sealing component.

[0043] The thread structure can be an internal thread structure or an external thread structure, as long as it is sealed and connected to the device to be loaded. The flexible sealing component can be a rubber plug, etc. Specifically, the sample outlet can be arranged inside the rubber plug, and the sealing connection can be completed so that the sample inlet of the device to be loaded is sealed by the rubber plug.

[0044] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sample outlet portion 3 includes a sample outlet channel 8, and the sample outlet channel 8 connects the sample pool and the sample outlet end of the sample outlet portion 3. The sample outlet channel 8 is preferably configured as a tube, more preferably a transparent tube. By providing the sample outlet channel 8, the sample injection situation can be observed more conveniently.

[0045] According to the present invention, in order to facilitate observation of the injection of the sample, the sample pool 2 is a transparent or translucent sample pool, and the sample pool cover 1 is a transparent or translucent sample pool cover. The material of the sample pool 2 and the sample pool 1 can be selected from one or more of glass, polypropylene, quartz, polymethyl acrylate and polystyrene. Among them, glass, polymethyl acrylate or polypropylene is preferred. By setting the sample pool cover 1 and the sample pool 2 to be transparent or translucent, the state of the liquid and gas in the sample pool can be observed and grasped at any time, which is convenient for controlling the injection process.

[0046] In order to facilitate the processing of the sample, pretreatment can be performed during the injection process, for example, a sample processing component can be provided at the bottom of the sample pool 2. Preferably, the sample processing component is one or more of a sample filtering component, a sample enrichment component and a sample separation component, specifically, it can be one or more of a filter disc, a functional resin, silica gel and alumina. As the filter disc, it can be a hydrophobic filter disc, such as polypropylene fiber, glass fiber, activated carbon, gravel, etc. As the functional resin, for example, a cation exchange resin, octadecyl silica gel, etc. There is no special limitation on the number and manner of setting of the above-mentioned sample processing components, which can be one or more, and the required partitions and other dividing structures can be provided between the sample processing components as needed, so as to ensure that each processing process is carried out in sequence. By providing the above-mentioned sample processing components, the sample can be pretreated during the injection process, which is more convenient for injection and subsequent reactions.

[0047] The second aspect of the present invention provides a microfluidic chip, the microfluidic chip has an injection port 5, the injection port 5 is provided with a threaded structure, and the threaded structure matches the threaded structure of the manual injector mentioned above. The microfluidic chip of the present invention can be used in conjunction with the manual injector with controllable injection volume. During the injection process, the threaded structure provided on the manual injector is screwed with the threaded structure provided on the injection port 5 of the microfluidic chip, thereby achieving a sealed connection between the two, preventing the pressure inside the microfluidic chip from affecting the injection volume during the injection process.

[0048] In the present invention, the structure of the microfluidic chip is not particularly limited, and preferably has a reaction pool and may have a flow channel and other structures. The number of the reaction pools can be set according to quantity, and may be more than one, for example, 1-10, preferably 1-2. The structure of the flow channel can be set according to the needs of the reaction.

[0049] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for example Figure 3The microfluidic chip shown has an injection port 5, a first reaction pool 6 and a second reaction pool 7, and flow channels are arranged between the injection port 5 and the first reaction pool 6, and between the first reaction pool 6 and the second reaction pool 7. The injection port 5 is provided with an internal thread so that it can cooperate with a manual injection device with an external thread on the sample outlet to perform injection.

[0050] The third aspect of the present invention provides a manual injection method with controllable injection volume, the method comprising: moving the sample pool cover 1 of the manual injector so that the sample in the sample cavity is pressed out through the sample outlet 3. The sample pool cover 1 can be moved by rotation or pulling, etc., according to the structure of the manual injector. By moving the sample pool cover 1, the volume of the sample cavity can be reduced, and the sample therein is discharged from the manual injector under the action of pressure, thereby completing the injection process.

[0051] According to the present invention, the sample pool cover 1 is preferably screwed to the sample pool 2, and the sample pool cover 1 is moved by rotating the sample pool cover 1. As described above, the process of rotating the sample pool cover 1 can be precisely controlled, so that the sample volume can be more accurately controlled. In order to ensure the seal between the sample pool cover 1 and the sample pool 2, for example, the threaded portion where the sample pool cover 1 and the sample pool 2 are screwed together can be frosted.

[0052] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises: determining the volume of the sample squeezed out through the sample outlet 3 by means of a scale provided on the side wall of the sample pool 2. The injection volume during the injection process can be directly read out by means of the scale, so that the required volume of sample can be added more accurately.

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises: screwing the manual injector to the microfluidic chip so that the sample in the manual injector enters the microfluidic chip. By screwing the manual injector to the microfluidic chip, the injection process can be made more accurate and reliable.

[0054] The present invention also provides applications of the manual injector, microfluidic chip or manual injection method in the fields of environmental pollutant detection, in vitro diagnosis, micro-total analysis chip, etc.

[0055] The present invention will be described in detail below through examples.

[0056] Example 1

[0057] This example is used to illustrate the injection of a sample of known volume.

[0058] Use as Figure 1-2The manual sample injector with controllable injection volume shown in the figure comprises a sample pool 2, a sample pool cover 1 and a sample outlet 3; the sample pool cover 1 and the sample pool 2 are both cylindrical and made of transparent glass, and can be detachably screwed to form a sleeve structure to seal and form a sample cavity with a volume of 100 μL, the sample outlet 3 is located on the side of the sample pool 2 opposite to the sample pool cover 1, the volume of the sample cavity can be changed by moving the sample pool cover 1, and the sample in the sample cavity can be pressed out through the sample outlet 3, the sample outlet 3 comprises a straight tubular sample outlet channel 8, one end of the sample outlet channel is connected to the sample pool, and the other end is used as a sample outlet, and an external thread is provided at the sample outlet end of the sample outlet. The side wall of the sample pool 2 is provided with a scale of 0 to 5.

[0059] Use as Figure 3 The microfluidic chip shown in the figure is matched with the above-mentioned manual injector, and the microfluidic chip has an injection port 5, a first reaction pool 6 and a second reaction pool 7, and flow channels are arranged between the injection port 5 and the first reaction pool 6, and between the first reaction pool 6 and the second reaction pool 7. The injection port 5 is provided with an internal thread so that it can cooperate with the external thread of the sample outlet 3 for injection.

[0060] Before the process begins, add 65 μL of sample to the manual injector, and then seal the sample pool 2 with the sample pool cover 1. Then, the external thread of the sample outlet 3 is screwed to the internal thread at the injection port 5 of the microfluidic chip to connect the manual injector to the microfluidic chip, and the sample pool cover 1 is rotated to move the sample pool cover 1 downward, the volume of the sample chamber is reduced, and the pressure is increased. Under the action of this pressure, the sample enters the microfluidic chip through the sample outlet channel 8, and can just fill the first reaction pool 6 and the second reaction pool 7 in the microfluidic chip. During the injection process, the flow of the internal liquid can be observed through the sample pool 2, the sample pool cover 1 and the sample outlet channel 8.

[0061] During the process of screwing in the sample pool cover 1, no matter which position the sample pool cover 1 reaches, the injection process can be paused or stopped at any time. Even if you let go, the position of the sample pool cover will be stuck by the threaded structure and will not retreat, thereby ensuring the stability of the pressure in the sample pool and making the liquid in the microfluidic chip stable without backflow.

[0062] Example 2

[0063] This example is used to illustrate the injection of a sample of unknown volume.

[0064] The same manual injector and microfluidic chip as in Example 1 were used.

[0065] Before the process begins, add the sample to the manual injector, then seal the sample pool 2 with the sample pool cover 1, and make the lower end of the sample pool cover coincide with the 0 scale line of the sample pool. Then, the external thread of the sample outlet 3 is screwed with the internal thread at the injection port 5 of the microfluidic chip to connect the manual injector to the microfluidic chip, and the sample pool cover 1 is rotated to move the sample pool cover 1 downward, the volume of the sample chamber is reduced, and the pressure is increased. Under the action of this pressure, the sample enters the microfluidic chip through the sample outlet channel 8, and the scale reading is observed while injecting the sample. When the sample pool cover coincides with the scale 2 of the sample pool, the injection is stopped, so that 65 μL of sample can be added to the microfluidic chip. During the injection process, the flow of the internal liquid can be observed through the sample pool 2, the sample pool cover 1 and the sample outlet channel 8.

[0066] During the process of screwing in the sample pool cover 1, no matter which position the sample pool cover 1 reaches, the injection process can be paused or stopped at any time. Even if you let go, the position of the sample pool cover will be stuck by the threaded structure and will not retreat, thereby ensuring the stability of the pressure in the sample pool and making the liquid in the microfluidic chip stable without backflow.

[0067] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the technical concept of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention can be subjected to a variety of simple modifications, including the combination of various technical features in any other suitable manner, and these simple modifications and combinations should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present invention and belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An application of a manual sample injector in the field of micro-total analysis chip, characterized in that: The microfluidic chip comprises a sample injection port (5), the sample injection port (5) is provided with a thread structure, and the thread structure matches the thread structure of a manual sample injector; The manual sample injector comprises a sample pool (2), a sample pool cover (1) and a sample outlet (3); The sample pool cover (1) seals the sample pool (2) to form a sample cavity, the sample outlet (3) is located on a side of the sample pool (2) opposite to the sample pool cover (1), and the volume of the sample cavity can be changed by moving the sample pool cover (1), and the sample in the sample cavity can be pressed out through the sample outlet (3); The sample pool cover (1) is detachably connected to the sample pool (2); The sample pool (2) and the sample pool cover (1) are both cylindrical; The sample pool cover (1) is screwed to the sample pool (2); The sample outlet (3) has a threaded structure or a flexible sealing component; A sample processing component is provided at the bottom of the sample pool (2); The sample processing components include a sample filtering component, a sample enrichment component and a sample separation component; A scale is provided on the side wall of the sample pool (2), and the scale is used to indicate the relative position of the sample pool cover (1) and the sample pool (2); The thread structure is an internal thread structure or an external thread structure; The sample outlet portion (3) comprises a sample outlet channel (8).

2. Application of the manual sample injector according to claim 1 in the field of micro-total analysis chip, wherein: The sample outlet (3) is arranged in the middle of a side of the sample pool (2) opposite to the sample pool cover (1).

3. Application of the manual sample injector according to claim 1 in the field of micro-total analysis chip, wherein: The flexible sealing component is a rubber plug.

4. Application of the manual sample injector according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in the field of micro-total analysis chips, wherein: The sample pool (2) is a transparent or translucent sample pool, and the sample pool cover (1) is a transparent or translucent sample pool cover.

5. Application of the manual sample injector according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in the field of micro-total analysis chips, wherein: By screwing the manual injector to the microfluidic chip, the sample in the manual injector enters the microfluidic chip for manual injection.

Images