Pneumatic sample transport device and pneumatic sample transport method

Abstract

The present invention provides a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device comprises a transmission pipeline, a power unit and a starting area, wherein the transmission pipeline has an inlet and an outlet, wherein the power unit is connected to the transmission pipeline, and the power unit provides airflow power for the sample transmission, wherein the starting area is connected to the inlet of the transmission pipeline, and the sample that obtains an initial velocity in the starting area reaches the outlet position under the action of the power unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of object transmission, and in particular to a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device is used to transport at least one sample from one position to another position. Background Art

[0002] After the samples are collected, they are stored in test tubes or other containers, and then transferred to the test site for testing and analysis. Usually, the sampling site and the test site are separate. For example, in a place like a hospital, after the medical staff collects the samples at the window, they will transport the samples to the test center for testing and analysis, and then the patients can get the test results at the designated location. In order to save labor costs, testers usually collect a certain number of samples before taking them to the test area for testing.

[0003] With the advancement of science and technology and the development of automation technology, a common method is to transfer samples from one location to another by a pneumatic transmission device. This method greatly reduces the workload of the transport personnel. However, there is still a problem that the entire transmission process does not really begin until the batch of samples is collected.

[0004] Users who frequently go to the hospital usually have to wait for dozens of minutes or even an hour after their samples are collected before they can get the test results. In fact, with the current advanced testing technology, it only takes a few minutes or even seconds for the sample to be tested and the test results to be obtained. The main reason for the extra waiting time paid by users is that they need to wait for the number of subsequent users to reach a certain value. In this process, before the last user who meets the number appears, the time of the previous users is consumed.

[0005] Obviously, this method is very inefficient, both for the waiting users and for the staff conducting the tests, because the staff responsible for the tests may be stuck waiting for the next batch of samples after completing the testing of the previous batch of samples, and become very busy when the next batch of samples arrives, making it impossible to allocate the staff's time reasonably, and even causing errors when facing multiple batches of samples at the same time.

[0006] Furthermore, once the distance between the sampling location and the test center is far, that is, when the transmission distance is long, the compressed air pump is maintained at a relatively high power, so that the sample that has just entered a transmission pipeline through the transmission port is immediately subjected to a pressure from the compressed air pump. In other words, the sample needs to withstand a relatively high pressure at this location, which may cause the sample to collide during the sudden acceleration process, thereby changing the shape or properties of the sample, thereby affecting the subsequent test results. This situation may become more obvious when the transmission distance is longer. For example, after the acceleration, the blood cells may rupture due to the collision between the blood cells, thereby affecting the overall number of blood cells detected. Summary of the invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device is capable of transporting samples in a go-as-you-go manner.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can improve the transmission efficiency of the sample.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can complete the transmission of the sample while ensuring the quality of the sample.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can complete the rapid transmission of samples while ensuring the quality of the samples.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can provide a gentle process to allow the sample to have an initial velocity.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can make the sample have the initial speed while saving energy.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can use the gravity of the sample itself to provide the sample with the initial velocity when transporting the sample.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device is capable of reducing the thrust on the sample under the premise that the sample has the initial velocity.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can reduce the vibration of the sample itself during the subsequent acceleration process under the premise that the sample has the initial velocity.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein a power unit of the pneumatic sample transport device can be designed to have a relatively low power, and the power unit is used to provide power to push the sample.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the noise generated during operation can be reduced after the power unit of the pneumatic sample transport device is designed to have a lower power.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample delivery device and a pneumatic sample delivery method, wherein the power unit of the pneumatic sample delivery device can be placed at a position far away from an injection port to reduce the noise impact on operators near the injection port.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can provide a negative pressure area for gentle acceleration of the sample.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device can provide a buffer area for samples to enter a transmission pipeline in an orderly manner.

[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the negative pressure zone is located near an inlet position of the transmission pipeline.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pneumatic sample transport device for transporting at least one sample, comprising:

[0023] a transmission pipeline, wherein the transmission pipeline has an inlet and an outlet;

[0024] a power unit, wherein the power unit is connected to the transmission pipeline, and the power unit provides airflow power for the sample; and

[0025] A starting zone, wherein the starting zone is connected to the inlet of the transmission pipeline, and the sample of a starting speed is obtained in the starting zone to reach the outlet position under the action of the power unit.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the starting area is located in a vertical direction.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pneumatic sample delivery device further comprises a sample injection mechanism, wherein the sample injection mechanism is communicatively aligned with the inlet of the transmission pipeline, and the starting area is formed in at least a portion of the sample injection mechanism.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is a positive pressure power unit, and under the action of the positive pressure power unit, there is a negative pressure area in the starting area.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is connected to the injection mechanism.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is connected to the transmission pipeline.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the starting area is located at the inlet position of the transmission pipeline and is formed in the transmission pipeline.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is connected to a position of the transmission pipeline corresponding to the starting area.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is a positive pressure power unit.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit includes a positive-pressure power unit and a negative-pressure power unit, wherein the positive-pressure power unit is closer to the outlet position relative to the negative-pressure power unit.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is located in front of the starting area, and the sample passes through the power unit after passing through the starting area.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is a positive pressure power unit.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is a negative pressure power unit, and the negative pressure power unit is arranged at a position of the transmission pipeline close to the inlet.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pneumatic sample transport device further comprises a cache rack, wherein the cache rack has a cache slot, wherein the cache rack is used to cache the test tube before the test tube is transported to the transmission pipeline.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pneumatic sample transport device further comprises a vibrator, wherein the vibrator is vibrably disposed on the cache rack.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pneumatic sample transport device further comprises a buffer unit, wherein the buffer unit is connected to the outlet, and the buffer unit provides an airflow opposite to that of the power unit to the pneumatic sample transport device.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cache rack is arranged to have an inclined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and one end close to the transmission pipe is lower than the other end far from the transmission pipe.

[0042] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a pneumatic sample delivery system, comprising:

[0043] a sorting device; and

[0044] The above-mentioned pneumatic sample transport device, wherein the sample sorted by the sorting device is transported through the pneumatic sample transport device.

[0045] According to another aspect of the present invention, a pneumatic sample delivery method is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0046] Feeding a sample into a transmission pipeline, wherein the sample obtains the initial velocity at a starting zone; and

[0047] The sample is transported to an outlet of the transport pipeline under the guidance of the airflow in the transport pipeline.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, the following steps are further included:

[0049] A positive pressure area is formed in the starting area to drive the sample to be transported forward.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, the following steps are further included:

[0051] A negative pressure area and a positive pressure area are formed in the starting area to drive the sample to be transported forward.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the starting area forms a sample injection mechanism, wherein the sample injection mechanism is aligned and communicably connected to the transmission pipeline.

[0053] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the starting area is formed in the transmission pipeline and is located at the inlet position of the transmission pipeline. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 2 It is a partial schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 3 It is a partial schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 4 It is a partial schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 5A It is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 5B It is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The following description is used to disclose the present invention so that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention. The preferred embodiments described below are only examples, and those skilled in the art can think of other obvious variations. The basic principles of the present invention defined in the following description can be applied to other embodiments, variations, improvements, equivalents, and other technical solutions that do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0064] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of the present invention, the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicating the orientation or position relationship are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0065] It is to be understood that the term "one" should be understood as "at least one" or "one or more", that is, in one embodiment, the number of an element may be one, while in another embodiment, the number of the element may be multiple, and the term "one" should not be understood as a limitation on the quantity.

[0066] Attached Figure 1To Attachment Figure 4 A pneumatic sample transport system 1000 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the pneumatic sample transport system 1000 can transport at least one sample A. For example, the sample A is a blood collection tube, that is, the pneumatic sample transport system 1000 can transport the blood collection tube.

[0067] The pneumatic sample transport system 1000 includes a pneumatic sample transport device 1, a sorting device 2 and a receiving device 3, wherein the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3 are located at both ends of the pneumatic sample transport device 1, and the pneumatic sample transport device 1 can transfer the sample A between the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3 using gas power. The sorting device 2 can sort the sample A, and the receiving device 3 is used to receive the transferred sample A. That is, the sample A is first sorted by the sorting device 2, and then reaches the receiving device 3 after being transferred by the pneumatic sample transport device 1.

[0068] In other examples of the present invention, the sample A may first pass through the receiving device 3, then pass through the pneumatic sample transport device 1 to reach the sorting device 2, and finally be sorted.

[0069] Optionally, the pneumatic sample transport device 1 is detachably connected to the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3, so that the pneumatic sample transport device 1 can be used independently of the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3 or can be replaced and repaired when any one of the pneumatic sample transport device 1, the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3 has a problem. Both ends of the pneumatic sample transport device 1 can also be connected to other devices, such as an automatic labeling device, an automatic cleaning device, etc.

[0070] The pneumatic sample transport device 1 comprises a transmission pipeline 10, a power unit 20 and a starting area 30, wherein the transmission pipeline 10 has an inlet 101 and an outlet 102, wherein the power unit 20 is connected to the transmission pipeline 10 and is used to provide pneumatic force so that the sample A can be transported in the transmission pipeline 10. The starting area 30 is used to provide an initial velocity for the sample A. The sample A with the initial velocity reaches the outlet 102 under the push of the power unit 20, thereby completing the long-distance transmission of the sample A.

[0071] At least part of the starting area 30 is formed above the inlet 101 of the transport pipe 10. The power unit 20 is located above the inlet 101 of the transport pipe 10. The sample A passes through the starting area 30 and is then transported from the inlet 101 to the outlet 102 under the action of the power unit 20. The starting area 30 enables the sample A to automatically obtain the initial velocity under the action of gravity.

[0072] In this example, the starting area 30 is formed in a vertical direction, and the sample A obtains the initial velocity in the starting area 30 in a vertical direction and falls into the transmission pipe 10 from the inlet 101. The sample A has a velocity of zero at the beginning of falling, and obtains the initial velocity under the action of gravity after passing through the vertical starting area 30. It is understandable that the starting area 30 may be inclined.

[0073] In this way, the sample A obtains the initial velocity directly based on its own gravity without relying on the action of the power unit 20. From the perspective of the power unit 20, the power of the power unit 20 can be designed to be smaller. Because the sample A obtains kinetic energy based on the conversion of potential energy, the power that the power unit 20 needs to provide for the sample A can become smaller, so that the power unit 20 does not need to operate at a higher power and the sample A can be transported from the inlet 101 of the transmission pipeline 10 to the outlet 102.

[0074] It is understood that the way in which the sample A obtains the initial velocity is not limited thereto, and the sample A can obtain the initial velocity with the help of an initial velocity provider, wherein the initial velocity provider can provide the initial velocity in a vertical direction, such as a vertical downward direction, a vertical upward direction, or a horizontal direction, so that the sample A has an initial velocity before passing through the power unit 20. Of course, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the velocity direction of the initial velocity obtained by the sample A can be arbitrary and can be changed according to the direction of the initial velocity provider. The initial velocity provider can be a power ejection device, and the sample A obtains the initial velocity during the ejection process.

[0075] For the entire pneumatic sample delivery system 1000, the noise generated by the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 during operation mainly comes from the power unit 20 of the pneumatic sample delivery device 1. In this example, the power unit 20 is a positive pressure power unit 21, wherein the positive pressure power unit 21 can compress the outside air, and then spray the compressed air in the transmission pipeline 10 toward the outlet 102, and in this process drive the sample A to be transmitted toward the outlet 102. The positive pressure power unit 21 can be a blower, which is not shown in the figure. The noise generated during operation is relatively large. Once the power required by the pneumatic sample delivery device 1 is reduced, the noise generated by the power unit 20 during operation can naturally be reduced. Therefore, in a preferred example of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 of the present invention, because the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 has a relatively small power requirement for the power unit 20, it is conducive to making the pneumatic sample delivery system 100 quieter during operation. It can be understood that the type of the positive pressure power unit 21 here is only for example and does not limit the present invention.

[0076] In this example, the power unit 20 is located in the starting area 30, and the sample A has obtained the initial speed under the action of gravity acceleration before reaching the position corresponding to the power unit 20 in the transmission pipeline 10. Therefore, under the sudden acceleration of the power unit 20, the vibration of the sample A itself is smaller than the vibration of the sample A under the sudden acceleration of the power unit 20 from zero speed, avoiding the possibility that the detection quality of the sample A is affected by the violent vibration of the sample A in the transmission pipeline 10. Furthermore, since the thrust provided by the power unit 20 itself can be reduced, the impact on the sample A itself at the moment of being accelerated by the power unit 20 will become smaller.

[0077] Furthermore, the pneumatic sample transport device 1 includes a decompression unit 40, wherein the decompression unit 40 is connected to the transmission pipeline 10 and is located between the power unit 20 and the outlet 102. The sample A first passes through the power unit 20, then passes through the decompression unit 40, and finally leaves the pneumatic sample transport device 1 from the outlet 102. The decompression unit 40 is used to reduce the pressure in the transmission pipeline 10, especially the pressure at one end of the outlet 102 close to the transmission pipeline 10, so as to avoid excessive speed of the sample A after leaving the outlet 102, thereby causing violent oscillation.

[0078] The decompression unit 40 is connected to the transmission pipeline 10. The decompression unit 40 has an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air inlet can be connected to the transmission pipeline 10, and the air outlet is connected to the outside of the air inlet, and at least part of the air in the transmission pipeline 10 can pass through the air inlet of the decompression unit 40 and then be discharged to the outside from the air outlet, so that the air pressure at this position in the transmission pipeline 10 can be reduced. The thrust of the sample A is also reduced, which is conducive to the subsequent slow transportation.

[0079] It is understandable that the decompression unit 40 may include a fan, wherein the fan is connected to the transmission pipeline 10. The fan can draw the air in the transmission pipeline 10 from the air inlet and then discharge the air from the exhaust port to reduce the air pressure in the transmission pipeline 10.

[0080] Furthermore, the pneumatic sample transport device 1 includes a buffer unit 50, wherein the buffer unit 50 is located near the outlet 102 of the transmission pipeline 10, wherein the buffer unit 50 can provide a buffering effect for the sample A to prevent the sample A from rushing out of the outlet 102 at a faster speed.

[0081] Specifically, the buffer unit 50 is connected to the transmission pipeline 10 and is located between the decompression unit 40 and the outlet 102. The buffer unit 50 can provide gas, such as air. The movement direction of the gas provided by the buffer unit 50 is opposite to the falling direction of the sample A, so as to prevent the sample A from rushing out of the outlet 102 at a faster speed under the action of gravity or the air thrust from the power unit 20.

[0082] In this example, the portion of the transmission pipeline 10 near the outlet 102 is set to a vertical direction. In this case, the sample A, which has a certain speed itself, may obtain a faster speed when reaching the outlet 102 under the action of gravity acceleration. The gas buffer provided by the buffer unit 50 at the outlet 102 can effectively reduce the movement speed of the sample A.

[0083] Further, the pneumatic sample transport device 1 includes a buffer unit 60, wherein the buffer unit 60 is located above the inlet 101 of the transport pipe 10, and the buffer unit 60 is connected to the inlet 101 of the transport pipe 10. The buffer unit 60 is used to temporarily store the sample A. The buffer unit 60 can buffer a plurality of samples A, and then the samples A are transported to other locations one by one through the transport pipe 10.

[0084] The buffer unit 60 includes a buffer rack 61 and a sample injection mechanism 62, wherein the buffer rack 61 has a buffer slot 610, wherein the buffer slot 610 has a certain length for accommodating a plurality of the samples A, and one end of the sample injection mechanism 62 is aligned with the buffer rack 61 so that the samples A located in the buffer rack 61 can directly fall into the sample injection mechanism 62. The sample injection mechanism 62 is connected to the inlet 101 of the transmission pipeline 10 to inject the samples A into the transmission pipeline 10.

[0085] The starting area 30 is formed in the sample injection mechanism 62, and the power unit 20 is connected to the sample injection mechanism 62. Further, the sample injection mechanism 62 has a sample injection channel 620, wherein the sample injection channel 620 is formed in a vertical direction so that the sample A can fall into the transmission pipe 10 in a vertical direction through the sample injection channel 620. The power unit 20 is connected to the sample injection channel 620. In this example, the power unit 20 sprays compressed air in the feed channel toward the transmission pipe 10. The starting area 30 surrounds and forms at least a portion of the sample injection channel 620.

[0086] Furthermore, the cache unit 60 includes a vibrator 63, wherein the vibrator 63 is located below the cache rack 61 and plays a certain supporting role for the cache rack 61. The vibrator 63 can also play a role in leveling the sample A located on the cache rack 61. The sample A may not be able to move to a preset position on the cache rack 61 under the action of friction, for example, adjacent to the previous sample A, so that the intervals between the samples A are not equal, affecting the subsequent sampling efficiency.

[0087] Specifically, the vibrator 63 located below the cache rack 61 provides a vertical vibration for the sample A on the cache rack 61. The vibrator 63 includes a vibration body 631, a first vibration arm 632 and a second vibration arm 633, wherein the first vibration arm 632 and the second vibration arm 633 are respectively connected to the vibration body 631. The vibration body 631 can drive the first vibration arm 632 and the second vibration arm 633 to vibrate.

[0088] The first vibration arm 632 and the second vibration arm 633 are respectively located on both sides of the cache rack 61, which are the two sides of the sample A, and transmit the vibration from the vibration body 631 to the cache rack 61. Preferably, the first vibration arm 632 and the second vibration arm 633 are set to be symmetrical. The first vibration arm 632 and the second vibration arm 633 not only play a vibration role for the cache rack 61, but also play a supporting role. The first vibration arm and the second vibration arm 633 are respectively in a vertical direction, so as to facilitate the sample A to be kept in a vertical direction.

[0089] Furthermore, the cache rack 61 includes a first support arm 611 and a second support arm 612, wherein the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 form the cache slot 610, and the sample A is supported by the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612. The sample A cannot move downward under the action of the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612. Taking a test tube as an example, a general test tube is provided with a test tube cap, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the test tube cap is larger than the test tube. When the entire test tube and the test tube cap are placed in the cache rack 61, the test tube cap is larger than the cache slot 610, so that the test tube is supported in the cache slot 610 through the test tube cap.

[0090] It is worth mentioning that the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 are set to a certain length so that the end of the sample A can be exposed outside the buffer rack 61. Specifically, the sample A has a high end and a low end, wherein the high end is located at a higher position and supported by the buffer rack 61, and the low end is located at a lower position and is not supported by the buffer rack 61. This method reduces the collision between the sample A and the bracket of the buffer rack 61, especially under the vibration of the vibrator 63, the collision part between the sample A and the buffer rack 61 is mainly concentrated on the high end of the sample A, generally the position of the test tube cap.

[0091] Furthermore, the test tube enters the sample introduction mechanism 62 along a vertical direction, which can reduce the contact between the test tube and other components, thereby reducing the resistance of the test tube to slide down.

[0092] This is especially important for glass test tubes, because glass test tubes are prone to breakage during collision, thus affecting the entire transmission process, while test tube caps are generally made of rubber or plastic and have greater strength. The vibrator 63 is located on both sides of the cache rack 61 and is respectively connected to the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612, so that the cache rack 61 generates a vibration in the vertical direction. The adjacent samples A can be kept in a neat state under the action of the vibrator 63, which is conducive to the subsequent neat falling into the sample introduction mechanism 62.

[0093] Because different samples A are different and their surface friction coefficients are not the same, once the friction coefficient of one sample A is too large, the sample A may be retained in the cache rack 61 and cannot automatically fall into the sample introduction mechanism 62 by gravity. The presence of the vibrator 63 can greatly reduce the occurrence of this situation, so that the sample A can continue to enter the sample introduction mechanism 62 when the sample introduction mechanism 62 is unobstructed. In other examples of the present invention, the vibrator 63 is located below the cache rack 61, and the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 of the vibrator 63 extend horizontally outward from both sides of the cache rack 61. In some examples of the present invention, the vibrator 63 is located below the cache rack 61, and the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 of the vibrator 63 extend upward from both sides of the cache rack 61.

[0094] It is worth mentioning that, with the assistance of the vibrator 63 , the sample A can be smoothly transferred to the sample injection mechanism 62 .

[0095] Preferably, the vibration amplitude of each vibration of the vibrator 63 is balanced, and the samples A are evenly spaced and installed on the buffer rack 61 so that the samples A located at the end or closest to the sample injection mechanism 62 can leave the buffer unit 60 and fall into the sample injection mechanism 62 under the uniform vibration of the vibrator 63. Preferably, the vibrator 63 is symmetrically arranged below the buffer rack 61 and supported by the buffer rack 61 to provide a relatively balanced vibration for the samples A on the buffer rack 61.

[0096] Preferably, the buffer rack 61 is arranged to be tilted downward, or tilted toward the sample feeding mechanism 62. Specifically, the buffer rack 61 has a high end and a low end, wherein the position of the high end is higher than the position of the low end, and the high end is close to the sorting device 2, and the low end is close to the transmission pipeline 1, wherein the high end faces the transmission pipeline and extends downward to the low end.

[0097] The sample A is subjected to at least three forces on the cache rack 61, one is the vertical downward gravity, one is the inclined upward support force from the cache rack 61, and the other is the friction force from the cache rack 61. The inclined cache rack 61 makes the sample A tend to move downward, making it easier for the sample A to leave the cache rack 61. With the assistance of the vibrator 63, the sample A located at the lowest position directly leaves the cache rack 61 and falls to the injection mechanism 62. The injection mechanism 62 can inject the sample A into the transmission pipeline 10. It can be understood that the injection mechanism 62 can control the injection frequency of the sample A to avoid the long interval time between the front and back injections of the sample A resulting in low transmission efficiency or the short interval time between the front and back injections of the sample A resulting in possible collision between the samples A.

[0098] A detector may be provided at the position of the sample injection mechanism 62, wherein the detector can be used to detect the amount of injection or to identify the type of the injected sample A. Optionally, when the detector detects that the sample A enters the sample injection mechanism 62, the sample injection mechanism 62 can provide at least one channel for injection, and when the detector does not detect that the sample A enters the sample injection mechanism 62, the channel of the sample injection mechanism 62 is closed to prevent other objects from entering the sample injection mechanism 62 or to prevent the sample A from entering the sample injection mechanism 62.

[0099] In this example, at the lower end of the buffer rack 61, the injection mechanism 62 includes an injection body 621 and an injection control mechanism 622, wherein the injection body 621 surrounds the injection channel 620, and the injection control mechanism 622 is movably connected to the injection body 621 to control the injection rate of the injection body 621. The injection mechanism 62 has an open state and a closed state, in which the test tube located in the buffer rack 61 can enter the injection channel 620 to complete the injection, and in the closed state, the test tube located in the buffer rack 61 cannot enter the injection channel 620. The injection control mechanism 622 can be implemented as a baffle and a motor, the baffle can block part of the injection channel to prevent the test tube from falling in, in this example, the baffle is located on the side of the injection body 621 to prevent the test tube from falling into the injection channel 620 at the side, and the motor can drive the baffle to move back and forth, so that the injection mechanism 62 can switch back and forth between the open state and the closed state to control the injection frequency of the sample A. It can be understood that the structure of the injection control mechanism 622 is only an example and does not limit the present invention.

[0100] In this example, at the end of the cache rack 61, the sample injection mechanism 62 is provided with a movable baffle to prevent the sample A on the cache rack 61 from falling directly into the sample injection mechanism 62. When the baffle is removed, the sample A can enter the sample injection mechanism 62. The baffle can be connected to a motor so that the sample injection mechanism 62 can continuously inject samples at a certain frequency. At the same time, the presence of the vibrator 63 ensures that the sample A on the cache rack 61 can continuously enter the sample injection mechanism 62 at preset intervals when the baffle is removed.

[0101] In this example, at least part of the starting area 30 is located above the inlet 101 of the transmission pipe 10, and is formed at the connection between the sample injection mechanism 62 and the transmission pipe 10. The power unit 20 is located above the transmission pipe 10. It is worth mentioning that when the power unit 20 sprays air toward the transmission pipe 10, a negative pressure area is formed in the starting area 30. When the sample A passes through the negative pressure area during the falling process, the sample A can enter the transmission pipe 10 more quickly and be transferred to the outlet 102 of the transmission pipe 10 under the action of the power unit 20.

[0102] More specifically, the power unit 20 sprays compressed air at high speed toward the inlet 101 of the transmission pipe 10 , that is, sprays compressed air forward in the moving direction of the sample A, thereby forming a negative pressure area at the rear, that is, behind the power unit 20 .

[0103] Reference Figure 5A FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 according to the present invention.

[0104] The difference between this embodiment and the above-mentioned embodiments mainly lies in the power unit 20 of the pneumatic sample delivery device 1 of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000. In this example, the power unit 20 is connected to the transmission pipeline 10 and includes a positive pressure power unit 21 and a negative pressure power unit 22.

[0105] The positive pressure power unit 21 pushes the sample A to the position of the outlet 102 by forming a positive pressure. The negative pressure power unit 22 pulls the sample A in front of the sample A to continuously move forward by forming a negative pressure.

[0106] At least part of the inlet 101 of the transmission pipeline 10 is arranged to be located in a vertical direction, and the starting area 30 forms the transmission pipeline 10 at this part. After the sample A acquires an initial velocity in the starting area 30, it passes through the negative pressure power unit 22 under the action of the negative pressure power unit 22, and then reaches the outlet 102 under the action of the positive pressure power unit 21.

[0107] In this example, the positive pressure power unit 21 and the negative pressure power unit 22 are arranged adjacent to each other. In other examples of the present invention, the positive pressure power unit 21 and the negative pressure power unit 22 can be arranged to be spaced a certain distance apart. Because in certain parts of the transmission pipeline 10, the transmission pipeline 10 is located in a vertical direction, so that the sample A can be transmitted by its own gravity, so that the presence of the positive pressure power unit 21 or the negative pressure power unit 22 of the power unit 20 is not necessary at these positions. The position of the positive pressure power unit 21 or the negative pressure power unit 22 can be flexibly selected.

[0108] Reference Figure 5B FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 according to the present invention.

[0109] The difference between this embodiment and the above-mentioned embodiment lies in the positive pressure power unit 21 and the negative pressure power unit 22 of the power unit 20, the sample A passes through the negative pressure power unit 22, then passes through the positive pressure power unit 21 under the action of gravity, and reaches the outlet 102 under the action of the positive pressure power unit 21. In this example, the transmission pipe 10 between the negative pressure power unit 22 and the positive pressure power unit 21 is arranged to be located in a vertical direction, so that the sample A can automatically fall between the negative pressure power unit 22 and the positive pressure power unit 21 under the action of gravity.

[0110] Reference Figure 6 FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 according to the present invention.

[0111] This embodiment and the attached Figure 1 The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 differs mainly in the positions of the power unit 20 and the starting area 30 .

[0112] In this example, at least part of the starting area 30 forms the transport pipeline 10 and is located near the inlet 101. The existence of the starting area 30 enables the sample A to automatically complete the transportation of a certain distance in the height direction after entering the transport pipeline 10 through the inlet 101, and then complete the transportation in the entire transport pipeline 10 under the action of the positive pressure power unit 21. The existence of the starting area 30 enables the sample A to automatically complete the transportation of a certain distance in the height direction.

[0113] It is worth mentioning that in this example, the injection channel 620 of the injection mechanism 62 may not be in a vertical position, for example, in a horizontal position, and then after obtaining the initial speed through the starting area 30 of the transmission pipeline 10, it is transported to the outlet 102 under the action of the positive pressure power unit 21. It is understandable that the positive pressure power unit 21 may be located outside the starting area 30, because when the positive pressure power unit 21 sprays compressed air forward, a negative pressure area is formed behind it. Under the pull of the negative pressure area, the sample A that cannot continue to move forward under the action of gravity can also be transported forward to the position of the positive pressure power unit 21.

[0114] The sample A can be pushed into the sample injection mechanism 62 in a horizontal position by a push rod.

[0115] Reference Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a modified embodiment of the pneumatic conveying system 1000 according to the present invention.

[0116] This embodiment and the attached Figure 1 The difference of the pneumatic sample transport system 1000 lies in the sorting machine 2, wherein the sorting machine 2 has multiple outlets, each of which is connected to an inlet 101 of the transmission pipe 10, and different transmission pipes 10 correspond to different receivers 3, so that the samples A collected at the same position can be transported to different positions for subsequent processing according to the different types of the samples A.

[0117] Reference Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a modified embodiment of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 according to the present invention. Figure 1 The difference of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 described above mainly lies in the vibrator 63 of the pneumatic sample delivery device 1 .

[0118] In this example, the vibrator 63 is arranged on both sides of the cache rack 61 of the cache unit 60 of the pneumatic sample transport device 1 to vibrate the cache rack 61 at a certain amplitude on the side of the cache rack 61 so that the sample A on the cache rack 61 can be in a neat state.

[0119] Specifically, the cache rack 61 includes a first support arm 611 and a second support arm 612, wherein the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 form the cache slot 610, and the sample A is supported by the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612. The sample A cannot move downward under the action of the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612. Taking a test tube as an example, a general test tube is provided with a test tube cap, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the test tube cap is larger than the test tube. When the entire test tube and the test tube cap are placed on the cache rack 61, the test tube cap is larger than the cache slot 610, so that the test tube is supported in the cache slot 610 through the test tube cap.

[0120] It is worth mentioning that the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 are set to a certain length so that the end of the sample A can be exposed outside the buffer rack 61. Specifically, the sample A has a high end and a low end, wherein the high end is located at a higher position and supported by the buffer rack 61, and the low end is located at a lower position and is not supported by the buffer rack 61. This method reduces the collision between the sample A and the bracket of the buffer rack 61, especially under the vibration of the vibrator 63, the collision part between the sample A and the buffer rack 61 is mainly concentrated on the high end of the sample A, generally the position of the test tube cap.

[0121] This is especially important for test tubes made of glass, because glass test tubes are easily broken during collision, thus affecting the entire transmission process. Test tube caps are generally made of rubber or plastic and have greater strength.

[0122] The vibrator 63 is located on both sides of the buffer rack 61 and is respectively connected to the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612, so that the buffer rack 61 vibrates in the horizontal direction. The adjacent samples A can be kept in an orderly state under the action of the vibrator 63, so as to facilitate the subsequent orderly falling into the sample feeding mechanism 62.

[0123] Because different samples A have different friction coefficients on their surfaces, once the friction coefficient of one sample A is too large, the sample A may be retained in the buffer rack 61 and cannot automatically fall into the sample feeding mechanism 62 by gravity. The presence of the vibrator 63 can greatly reduce the occurrence of this situation, so that the sample A can continuously enter the sample feeding mechanism 62 when the sample feeding mechanism 62 is unobstructed.

[0124] Preferably, the vibrator 63 is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cache rack 61 to provide a more balanced vibration to the sample A in the cache rack 61, thereby reducing the influence of the vibration of the vibrator 63 on the biochemical properties of the sample A itself.

[0125] It is worth mentioning that since the vibrator 63 is located on the side of the cache rack 61, the possibility of contact between the sample A supported on the cache rack 61 and the vibrator 63 during the vibration process is reduced, thereby avoiding collision between the sample A and the vibrator 63.

[0126] In other examples of the present invention, the number of the vibrators 63 may be two, respectively located on both sides of the cache rack 61. The two vibrators 63 may work at intervals to drive the cache rack 61 to vibrate. Optionally, according to other embodiments of the present invention, the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 has only one vibrator 63 located on the side. Optionally, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the vibrator 63 is located above the cache rack 61.

[0127] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides a pneumatic transmission method, which comprises:

[0128] Feeding the sample A into the transmission pipe 10, wherein the sample obtains the initial velocity in the initial zone 30 located in the vertical direction; and

[0129] The sample A is transported to the outlet 102 of the transport pipe 10 under the guidance of the airflow in the transport pipe 10 .

[0130] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the above method, the pneumatic transmission method further comprises the following steps:

[0131] The positive pressure area is formed in the starting area 30 to drive the sample A to be transported forward.

[0132] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the above method, the pneumatic transmission method further comprises the following steps:

[0133] The negative pressure area and the positive pressure area are formed in the starting area 30 to drive the sample A to be transported forward.

[0134] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the starting area 30 is formed in the sample injection mechanism 62 , wherein the sample injection mechanism 62 is aligned and communicatively connected to the transmission pipeline 10 .

[0135] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the starting area 30 is formed in the transmission pipeline 10 and is located at the inlet 101 of the transmission pipeline 10 .

[0136] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the above method, the sample A is transported to the outlet 102 under the guidance of the positive pressure in the transport pipe 10 .

[0137] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the above method, the sample A is firstly transported under the guidance of negative pressure in the transport pipe 10 , and then transported to the outlet 102 under the guidance of positive pressure in the transport pipe 10 .

[0138] According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the above method, the sample A leaves the feeding unit under the action of vibration and then enters the inlet 101 .

[0139] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawings are only examples and do not limit the present invention. The purpose of the present invention has been fully and effectively achieved. The functional and structural principles of the present invention have been demonstrated and explained in the embodiments, and the embodiments of the present invention may be deformed or modified in any way without departing from the principles.

Claims

1. A pneumatic sample transport device for transporting at least one sample, characterized in that: include: a transmission pipeline, wherein the transmission pipeline has an inlet and an outlet; a power unit, wherein the power unit is connected to the transmission pipeline, and the power unit provides airflow power for the sample; A starting zone, wherein the starting zone is connected to the inlet of the transmission pipeline, and the sample of a starting speed is obtained in the starting zone to reach the outlet position under the action of the power unit; and A cache unit, wherein the cache unit is located above the inlet of the transmission pipeline, wherein the cache unit includes a cache rack, a sample injection mechanism and a vibrator, the cache rack is set at an inclined angle to the horizontal plane, one end close to the transmission pipeline is lower than the other end away from the transmission pipeline, the cache rack includes a first support arm and a second support arm and a cache slot formed between the first support arm and the second support arm, the first support arm and the second support arm are set to a certain length so that the cache slot has a certain length, the sample has a high end and a low end, the high end is located at a higher position and is supported by the first support arm and the second support arm, The lower end is located at a lower position and is not supported by the cache rack so that the sample can be accommodated in the cache slot, and the end of the sample can be exposed outside the cache rack, and the sample cannot move downward under the action of the first support arm and the second support arm. One end of the injection mechanism is aligned with the cache rack so that the sample located on the cache rack can directly fall into the injection mechanism. The vibrator is located below the cache rack, and the vibrator includes a vibration body, a first vibration arm and a second vibration arm. The first vibration arm and the second vibration arm are respectively connected to the vibration body, and the first vibration arm and the second vibration arm are located on both sides of the cache rack.

2. The pneumatic sample delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the starting area is located in a vertical direction.

3. The pneumatic sample delivery device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sample delivery mechanism is communicatively aligned with the inlet of the delivery conduit, and the starting area is formed in at least a portion of the sample delivery mechanism.

4. The pneumatic sample transport device according to claim 3, wherein the power unit is a positive pressure power unit, and under the action of the positive pressure power unit, there is a negative pressure area in the starting area.

5. The pneumatic sample delivery device according to claim 3, wherein the power unit is connected to the sample delivery mechanism.

6. The pneumatic sample transport device according to claim 3, wherein the power unit is connected to the transport pipeline.

7. The pneumatic sample transport device according to claim 1, wherein the starting area is located at the inlet position of the transport pipeline and is formed in the transport pipeline.

8. The pneumatic sample transport device according to claim 7, wherein the power unit is connected to a position of the transport pipeline corresponding to the starting area.

9. The pneumatic sample delivery device according to claim 8, wherein the power unit is a positive pressure power unit.

10. The pneumatic sample delivery device according to claim 8, wherein the power unit comprises a positive pressure power unit and a negative pressure power unit, wherein the positive pressure power unit is closer to the outlet position relative to the negative pressure power unit.

11. The pneumatic sample delivery position according to claim 7, wherein the power unit is located in front of the starting area, and the sample passes through the power unit after passing through the starting area.

12. The pneumatic sample delivery device according to claim 11, wherein the power unit is a positive pressure power unit.

13. The pneumatic sample transport device according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device further comprises a buffer unit, wherein the buffer unit is connected to the outlet, and the buffer unit provides an airflow opposite to that of the power unit to the pneumatic sample transport device.

14. A pneumatic sample delivery system, characterized in that: include: a sorting device; and A pneumatic sample transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the sample sorted by the sorting device is transported through the pneumatic sample transport device.

15. A pneumatic sample transport method, characterized in that: The pneumatic sample delivery method delivers a sample by using the pneumatic sample delivery device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pneumatic sample delivery method comprises the following steps: Feeding the sample into the transmission pipeline, wherein the sample obtains an initial velocity at the starting area; and The sample is transported to the outlet of the transport pipe under the guidance of the airflow in the transport pipe.

16. The pneumatic sample transport method according to claim 15, wherein in the above method, the pneumatic sample transport method further comprises the following steps: A positive pressure area is formed in the starting area to drive the sample to be transported forward.

17. The pneumatic sample transport method according to claim 15, wherein in the above method, the pneumatic sample transport method further comprises the following steps: A negative pressure area and a positive pressure area are formed in the starting area to drive the sample to be transported forward.

18. The pneumatic sample transport method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the starting area is formed in the transport pipeline and is located at the inlet position of the transport pipeline.

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