High-precision micro-liquid filling equipment

Abstract

The present invention discloses a high-precision micro-liquid filling device, including: a bracket; a pipette gun, having at least one gun head; an output end of a vertical drive unit connected to the pipette gun, driving the pipette gun to vertically rise and fall; at least one liquid collection tank, the liquid collection tank corresponding to the gun head; a first horizontal drive unit drives the liquid collection tank to horizontally extend forward to the bottom of the gun head or retract to avoid the moving path of the gun head; a peristaltic pump, having at least one pump tube, the peristaltic pump correspondingly replenishes liquid to the liquid collection tank through the pump tube; an identification plate, located directly below the gun head, with multiple micropores. This filling device cleverly combines the pipette gun and the peristaltic pump organically through the liquid collection tank, and supports each other functionally. The peristaltic pump quickly replenishes liquid to the liquid collection tank, and the gun head of the pipette gun can accurately and quantitatively take liquid from the liquid collection tank. The pipette gun only needs to be lifted vertically to complete the actions of taking liquid and filling, without too many complicated actions. The whole operation is very convenient, and at least one liquid can be filled at the same time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a liquid filling technology for medicine and laboratories, and in particular to a high-precision micro-liquid filling device. Background Art

[0002] At present, there are usually two solutions for micro-liquid filling equipment in the pharmaceutical industry and laboratory fields: one is to use a pipette solution, which can achieve multi-channel precise filling, but the pipette operation is complicated, the movements are numerous, the speed is very slow, and it can only fill a single liquid; the other is to use a peristaltic pump solution, which can achieve rapid acceleration and high efficiency, but the liquid filling accuracy is low, the error is large, and it is difficult to achieve the effect of quantitative filling. The pharmaceutical industry and laboratories can usually only choose one of the solutions in liquid filling work, which has gains and losses, and the two solutions cannot make an obvious combination. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a fast and high-precision micro-liquid filling device to fill the current market gap in this regard. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a fast and high-precision micro-liquid filling device.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the high-precision trace liquid filling device includes: a bracket; a pipette having at least one gun head; a vertical drive unit installed on the bracket, the output end of the vertical drive unit is connected to the pipette to drive the pipette to rise and fall vertically; at least one liquid collection trough, the liquid collection trough corresponds to the gun head one by one; a first horizontal drive unit installed on the bracket, the output end of the first horizontal drive unit is connected to the liquid collection trough, driving the liquid collection trough to extend horizontally to the bottom of the gun head or to retract to avoid the moving path of the gun head; a peristaltic pump having at least one pump tube, the peristaltic pump replenishes liquid to the liquid collection trough through the pump tube; an identification plate located directly below the gun head and having a plurality of micropores.

[0005] At least the following beneficial effects are provided: the filling device skillfully combines the pipette and the peristaltic pump through the liquid collection trough, and the functions support each other. The peristaltic pump quickly replenishes the liquid to the liquid collection trough, and the pipette tip can accurately and quantitatively collect liquid from the liquid collection trough. Moreover, the liquid collection trough is arranged to be movable, and can extend forward to the bottom of the pipette tip or retract to avoid the moving path of the pipette tip. After the pipette completes the liquid collection and removes the liquid collection trough, the pipette descends vertically to transfer the liquid and fill it into the micropores of the identification plate. In addition to being fast and high-precision, the pipette only needs to be raised and lowered vertically to complete the actions of collecting and filling liquid, without too many complicated actions. The whole operation is very convenient, and at least one liquid can be filled at the same time without affecting each other.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pipette includes a piston and a gun body, the gun head is installed at the bottom end of the gun body, the gun body has a piston cavity slidably connected to the piston, the gun head has a liquid channel running through the top and bottom, and the piston cavity is connected to the liquid channel.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a pipetting execution unit is installed at the output end of the vertical driving unit, and the output end of the pipetting execution unit is connected to the piston to drive the piston to slide vertically relative to the piston chamber.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pipetting execution unit includes a stepper motor and a ball screw, the output shaft of the stepper motor is connected to the screw rod of the ball screw, and the piston is connected to a nut on the ball screw.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the vertical drive unit includes a guide rail and a first cylinder, the guide rail is vertically mounted on the bracket, the guide rail is slidably connected to a mounting frame, and the gun body and the pipetting execution unit are both connected to the output end of the first cylinder through the mounting frame.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a liquid replenishing port is provided on the lower side wall of the liquid collection tank, and the liquid replenishing port is connected to the pump tube. An overflow port is provided on the upper side wall of the liquid collection tank for discharging excess liquid in the liquid collection tank.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, it also includes an overflow channel and an overflow pipe, the overflow channel is connected to the overflow ports of all liquid extraction tanks, the overflow pipe is connected to the overflow channel, the bottom of the overflow channel is lower than the bottom of the overflow port, and the bottom of the overflow pipe is flush with the bottom of the overflow channel.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a small liquid collection groove is provided at the bottom of the liquid collection groove, and the small liquid collection groove is located at the lowest position of the liquid collection groove, and the small liquid collection groove gradually narrows from top to bottom.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a horizontal transport unit for horizontally transporting the identification plate and a positioning member for fixing the position of the identification plate are installed on the bracket.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the positioning member is connected to a second horizontal driving unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the local structure of an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the local structure of an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0019] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a liquid taking tank in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 Another perspective structural diagram of the liquid taking tank in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 6 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a liquid tank in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0023] Figure numerals: bracket 1, pipette 2, gun body 21, piston 22, gun head 23, vertical drive unit 3, guide rail 31, first cylinder 32, pipetting execution unit 4, stepper motor 41, ball screw 42, liquid collection tank 5, liquid replenishment port 51, overflow port 52, overflow channel 53, overflow pipe 54, liquid collection tank 55, second pump pipe joint 56, mounting frame 57, first horizontal drive unit 6, peristaltic pump 7, first pump pipe joint 71, identification plate 8, micropore 81, mounting frame 9, horizontal conveying unit 10, positioning member 11, second horizontal drive unit 12. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., and orientations or positional relationships indicated are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0026] In the description of the present invention, "several" means one or more, "more" means two or more, "greater than", "less than", "exceed" etc. are understood as not including the number itself, and "above", "below", "within" etc. are understood as including the number itself. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing the technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0028] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The present invention discloses a high-precision trace liquid filling device, including a bracket 1, a pipette 2, a vertical drive unit 3, a first horizontal drive unit 6, a peristaltic pump 7 and at least one liquid collection tank 5, wherein the pipette 2 has at least one gun head 23, and the liquid collection tank 5 corresponds to the gun head 23 one by one. The vertical drive unit 3 is installed on the bracket 1, and the output end of the vertical drive unit 3 is connected to the pipette 2 to drive the pipette 2 to rise and fall vertically. The first horizontal drive unit 6 is installed on the bracket 1, and the output end of the first horizontal drive unit 6 is connected to the liquid collection tank 5 to drive the liquid collection tank 5 to extend horizontally to the bottom of the gun head 23 or to retract to avoid the moving path of the gun head 23. The peristaltic pump 7 has at least one pump tube, and the peristaltic pump 7 replenishes liquid to the liquid collection tank 5 through the pump tube. The identification plate 8 is located directly below the gun head 23 and has multiple micropores 81.

[0029] The filling device cleverly combines the pipette 2 and the peristaltic pump 7 through the liquid collection trough 5, and the peristaltic pump 7 supports each other functionally. The peristaltic pump 7 quickly replenishes the liquid for the liquid collection trough 5, and the gun head 23 of the pipette 2 can accurately and quantitatively collect liquid from the liquid collection trough 5. The liquid collection trough 5 is configured to be movable and can extend forward to the bottom of the gun head 23 or retract to avoid the moving path of the gun head 23. After the pipette 2 completes the liquid collection and removes the liquid collection trough 5, the pipette 2 descends vertically to transfer the liquid and fill it into the micropores 81 of the identification plate 8. In addition to having the characteristics of speed and high precision, the pipette 2 only needs to be raised and lowered vertically to complete the actions of collecting and filling liquid, without too many complicated actions. The whole operation is very convenient, and at least one liquid can be filled at the same time without affecting each other.

[0030] Among them, Figure 2As shown, the pipette 2 includes a piston 22 and a gun body 21, a gun head 23 is installed at the bottom end of the gun body 21, the gun body 21 has a piston cavity slidably connected to the piston 22, the gun head 23 has a liquid channel running through the top and bottom, the piston cavity is connected to the liquid channel, when the piston 22 slides vertically relative to the piston cavity, the liquid channel can be filled with liquid or discharged.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present invention, a pipetting execution unit 4 is installed at the output end of the vertical driving unit 3, and the output end of the pipetting execution unit 4 is connected to the piston 22, driving the piston 22 to slide vertically relative to the piston cavity. Specifically, the pipetting execution unit 4 includes a stepper motor 41 and a ball screw 42, and the output shaft of the stepper motor 41 is connected to the screw of the ball screw 42, and the piston 22 is connected to the nut on the ball screw 42, so that the stepper motor 41 can drive the piston 22 to slide relative to the piston cavity. The stepper motor 41 has high transmission accuracy and can accurately control the liquid pickup and discharge volumes of the gun head 23, thereby realizing automated liquid pickup and discharge operations, and the entire operation is very convenient.

[0032] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 3 As shown, the vertical drive unit 3 includes a guide rail 31 and a first cylinder 32. The guide rail 31 is vertically mounted on the bracket 1. The guide rail 31 is slidably connected to the mounting frame 9. The gun body 21 and the pipetting execution unit 4 are both connected to the output end of the first cylinder 32 through the mounting frame 9. The first cylinder 32 can drive the gun body 21 and the pipetting execution unit 4 to rise and fall vertically, wherein the mounting frame 9 plays a role in supporting and transmitting the gun body 21 and the pipetting execution unit 4.

[0033] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments of the present invention, a liquid infusion port 51 is provided on the lower side wall of the liquid collection tank 5, and the liquid infusion port 51 is connected to the pump tube. Specifically, Figure 1 As shown, at least one first pump pipe joint 71 is installed on the peristaltic pump 7, and each liquid infusion port 51 of the liquid collection tank 5 is installed with a second pump pipe joint 56. The two ends of the pump pipe are respectively connected to the first pump pipe joint 71 and the second pump pipe joint 56, so that the peristaltic pump 7 can quickly replenish the liquid for the liquid collection tank 5 through the pump pipe and the liquid infusion port 51. An overflow port 52 is also provided on the upper side wall of the liquid collection tank 5 to discharge the excess liquid in the liquid collection tank 5. After the pipette gun 2 takes away one or more liquids, the peristaltic pump 7 pumps liquid into the liquid collection tank 5 once. The overflow port 52 can ensure that the maximum stock in the liquid collection tank 5 is certain to prevent accumulation errors.

[0034] See also Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 , further comprising an overflow channel 53 and an overflow pipe 54, the overflow channel 53 is connected to the overflow ports 52 of all the liquid taking tanks 5, and the overflow pipe 54 is connected to the overflow channel 53, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the bottom of the overflow channel 53 is lower than the bottom of the overflow port 52 , and the bottom of the overflow pipe 54 is flush with the bottom of the overflow channel 53 , ensuring that the liquid in the overflow channel 53 will not flow back from the overflow port 52 into the liquid collection tank 5 and can be discharged in time through the overflow pipe 54 .

[0035] In some embodiments of the present invention, a small liquid collection groove 55 is opened at the bottom of the liquid collection groove 5, and the small liquid collection groove 55 is at the lowest position of the liquid collection groove 5. The small liquid collection groove 55 gradually narrows from top to bottom, and is specifically in the shape of an inverted frustum. Even when the amount of liquid stored in the liquid collection groove 5 is small, the liquid will gather in the small liquid collection groove 55, and the gun head 23 can absorb almost all the liquid in the liquid collection groove 5.

[0036] In addition, in order to facilitate the connection between the liquid collection tank 5 and the first horizontal driving unit 6, a mounting frame 57 is provided outside the liquid collection tank 5. The first horizontal driving unit 6 is a horizontally arranged second cylinder, and the mounting frame 57 is connected to the output end of the second cylinder.

[0037] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 A positioning member 11 and a horizontal conveying unit 10 for horizontally conveying the identification plate 8 are installed on the bracket 1. The horizontal conveying direction of the identification plate 8 is perpendicular to the moving direction of the liquid collection tank 5. The horizontal conveying unit 10 can convey multiple identification plates 8 at the same time. The positioning member 11 is connected to a second horizontal driving unit 12. The second horizontal driving unit 12 is a third cylinder. The second horizontal driving unit 12 horizontally drives the positioning member to be clamped at both ends of the identification plate 8 to prevent the identification plate 8 from moving, thereby fixing the position of the identification plate 8 so that the identification plate 8 is directly below the pipette 2, and the gun head 23 is facing the microhole 81.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the identification plate 8 has one hundred and twenty micropores 81, and the micropores 81 are arranged in a matrix of ten rows and twelve columns. There are corresponding ten pipettes 2, and each pipette fills the micropores 81 on the same row at the same time. Each pipette 2 has twelve gun tips 23, and the twelve gun tips 23 correspond to twelve liquid collection troughs 5 and twelve pump tubes respectively. This filling equipment fills ten identification plates 8 at the same time. Each identification plate can complete the filling of one hundred and twenty micropores 81 through the filling process of ten pipettes in turn, and the efficiency is very high.

[0039] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made within the knowledge scope of ordinary technicians in the technical field without departing from the purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. High-precision micro-liquid filling equipment, characterized in that: include: Bracket; A pipette gun having at least one gun head, the pipette gun comprising a piston and a gun body, the gun head being mounted at the bottom end of the gun body, the gun body having a piston cavity slidably connected to the piston, the gun head having a liquid channel running vertically, the piston cavity being in communication with the liquid channel; A vertical driving unit is installed on the bracket, the output end of the vertical driving unit is connected to the pipette gun, driving the pipette gun to vertically rise and fall, the output end of the vertical driving unit is installed with a pipetting execution unit, the output end of the pipetting execution unit is connected to the piston, driving the piston to slide vertically relative to the piston chamber; At least one liquid collection tank, the liquid collection tank corresponds to the gun head one by one, the lower side wall of the liquid collection tank is provided with a liquid replenishing port, and the upper side wall of the liquid collection tank is provided with an overflow port for discharging excess liquid in the liquid collection tank; A first horizontal driving unit is installed on the bracket, wherein an output end of the first horizontal driving unit is connected to the liquid collection tank, and drives the liquid collection tank to horizontally extend forward to the bottom of the gun head or to retract to avoid the moving path of the gun head; A peristaltic pump having at least one pump tube, the liquid replenishing port being connected to the pump tube, and the peristaltic pump replenishes liquid to the liquid collection tank through the pump tube; An identification plate, located directly below the gun tip, having a plurality of micro-holes; An overflow channel and an overflow pipe, the overflow channel is connected to the overflow ports of all liquid extraction tanks, the overflow pipe is connected to the overflow channel, the bottom of the overflow channel is lower than the bottom of the overflow port, and the bottom of the overflow pipe is flush with the bottom of the overflow channel.

2. The high-precision micro-liquid filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid transfer execution unit comprises a stepper motor and a ball screw, the output shaft of the stepper motor is connected to the screw rod of the ball screw, and the piston is connected to the nut on the ball screw.

3. The high-precision micro-liquid filling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The vertical driving unit comprises a guide rail and a first cylinder. The guide rail is vertically mounted on the bracket. The guide rail is slidably connected to a mounting frame. The gun body and the liquid transfer execution unit are both connected to the output end of the first cylinder through the mounting frame.

4. The high-precision micro-liquid filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A small liquid collection groove is provided at the bottom of the liquid collection groove. The small liquid collection groove is located at the lowest position of the liquid collection groove, and the small liquid collection groove gradually narrows from top to bottom.

5. The high-precision micro-liquid filling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket is provided with a horizontal conveying unit for horizontally conveying the identification plate and a positioning member for fixing the position of the identification plate.

6. The high-precision micro-liquid filling device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The positioning member is connected to a second horizontal driving unit.

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