PCR Workstation

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of gene detection equipment, and discloses a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) system, comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of PCR instruments, arranged inside the cabinet; a feed port, opened on the surface of the cabinet, for materials to be placed in; a material handling component, arranged inside the cabinet, for carrying materials placed in the feed port to or from the plurality of PCR instruments; and a control unit, which is in communication connection with the plurality of PCR instruments and the material handling component. The PCR workstation provided by the present invention integrates a plurality of groups of PCR experiments in the cabinet for parallel processing, and through automated loading / unloading and testing of materials, on the one hand, can improve the automation degree of PCR experiments and improve the detection efficiency, and on the other hand, centrally processes the nucleic acid product aerosols of the plurality of PCR instruments, and improves the processing efficiency of the nucleic acid product aerosols.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of gene detection equipment, and in particular to a PCR workstation. Background Art

[0002] Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a molecular biology technique used to amplify specific DNA fragments. PCR can be seen as a special DNA replication outside the body, and its biggest feature is that it can significantly increase trace amounts of DNA.

[0003] Existing PCR laboratories often purchase multiple PCR instruments. Operators manually put the prepared materials into each PCR instrument, run the PCR program, record the data and take out the materials. This operation method requires operators to coordinate the operation of each PCR instrument and complete the material handling and data recording work, resulting in a relatively low degree of automation. Once the business volume increases, and the staffing is insufficient or the staff skills are insufficient, it is easy to lead to the detection capacity being limited by the personnel status of the detection team, affecting the detection efficiency.

[0004] In addition, PCR experiments will produce aerosols of nucleic acid products. In order to prevent contamination caused by the spread of aerosols containing nucleic acid products, the aerosols need to be dealt with quickly after they are generated. However, the aerosols generated by multiple dispersed PCR instruments are difficult to be effectively treated and can easily cause nucleic acid aerosol contamination.

[0005] How to balance the detection efficiency of multiple PCR instruments and the processing efficiency of nucleic acid product aerosols is a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved in this field. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned technical problems, and aims to provide a PCR workstation that uses multiple PCR instruments to carry out experiments, can maintain high operating efficiency, and effectively handle nucleic acid product aerosols, especially to provide a PCR workstation that solves the above problems.

[0007] Specifically, the present invention provides a PCR workstation, comprising:

[0008] Cabinets;

[0009] Multiple PCR machines are set up inside the cabinet;

[0010] The material inlet is opened on the cabinet surface for materials to be put in;

[0011] A material handling component is arranged inside the cabinet and is used to carry materials put in from the material inlet to multiple PCR instruments or to remove materials from multiple PCR instruments;

[0012] Control unit that communicates with multiple PCR machines and material handling components.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the PCR workstation provided by the present invention integrates multiple groups of PCR experiments in a cabinet for parallel processing. Through automated loading / unloading and detection of materials, on the one hand, it can improve the degree of automation of PCR experiments and improve detection efficiency. On the other hand, it can centrally process nucleic acid product aerosols from multiple PCR instruments to improve the processing efficiency of nucleic acid product aerosols.

[0014] The material handling components are controlled by the control unit to move materials to or from multiple PCR machines in the cabinet. There is no need to manually carry materials or transport materials to the PCR machine, which reduces the gas circulation inside and outside the cabinet, and also reduces the contact between the experimenter and the inside of the cabinet, further increasing the safety of the PCR experiment. The use of centralized feeding ports to put materials can also reduce the difficulty of operation for the experimenter, further reduce the skill requirements for the PCR experiment, and improve the operation efficiency.

[0015] In addition, preferably, the PCR instrument comprises:

[0016] shell;

[0017] A material carrier, capable of reciprocatingly moving out of or into the housing, for injecting material; and

[0018] The carrier driving component is connected to the material carrier in a transmission manner and in a communication manner with the control unit. The carrier driving component can drive the material carrier to move out of or enter the housing under the control of the control unit.

[0019] According to this preferred scheme, the carrier driving component, the material carrier and the material handling assembly cooperate to transport the material to the material carrier when the material carrier is moved out of the shell before the experiment begins, and to remove the material from the material carrier when the material carrier is moved out of the shell after the experiment ends, thereby realizing automatic loading and unloading of materials and reducing manual participation.

[0020] Furthermore, as a preference, the PCR workstation also includes a high-efficiency filtration unit, an air outlet is opened on the top of the cabinet, and the high-efficiency filtration unit is filled at the air outlet.

[0021] According to this preferred embodiment, by setting up a high-efficiency filtration unit, the air containing harmful substances such as aerosols flowing inside the cabinet reaches the air outlet and is filtered and purified by the high-efficiency filtration unit before being discharged. The harmful substances are filtered out by the high-efficiency filtration unit, so that the gas discharged to the outside of the cabinet is clean, which facilitates PCR experiments without a dedicated PCR laboratory.

[0022] In addition, preferably, the PCR workstation further comprises a fan disposed inside the cabinet, the fan being used to form a one-way air path passing through the plurality of PCR instruments and moving toward the air outlet. The fan is communicatively connected to the control unit so as to be responsively turned on before the material carrier is removed from the housing.

[0023] According to the preferred solution, the fan can be used to promote air circulation inside the cabinet, and the air circulation path can be adjusted so that the air flows through multiple PCR instruments to remove harmful substances such as aerosols generated in the experiment from the PCR instruments and reach the air outlet, thereby improving the filtration and purification of the cabinet by the high-efficiency filtration unit. In addition, by configuring the fan to respond to the removal of the material carrier and turn on in advance, each time the material carrier is removed for loading / unloading operations, it can be placed in the air flow, thereby blowing away the nucleic acid product aerosol on the surface of the material and the material carrier, keeping the material carrier clean and avoiding interference with the experimental results.

[0024] Further, as a preference, the material handling assembly includes a three-axis linkage mechanism and a handling carrier having a plurality of material transfer suction cups, the handling carrier being capable of translation in three orthogonal directions driven by the three-axis linkage mechanism, and the plurality of material transfer suction cups being adapted to the shape of the container of the material.

[0025] According to this preferred solution, a three-axis linkage mechanism is provided to realize three-dimensional movement of the transport carrier in space, so that the material container is adsorbed by the material transfer suction cup to realize the transfer of the material.

[0026] In addition, preferably, the control unit includes a task allocation module, which can specify a corresponding PCR instrument for the material to be processed currently according to the task progress information of multiple PCR instruments.

[0027] According to the preferred solution, the task allocation module is used to allocate the appropriate PCR instrument, and the order and mode of multiple groups of PCR experiments can be freely designed. When inserting a new PCR experiment, there is no need to wait for a long time, and the PCR experiment is more flexible and efficient.

[0028] In addition, preferably, the PCR workstation further comprises a camera in communication with the control unit, the camera being used to photograph a label set on a container of the material to obtain image information of the label. The control unit sets the operating mode of the PCR instrument for processing the material according to the image information.

[0029] According to the preferred solution, the camera cooperates with the label on the container of the material, and the camera sends the image information of the label to the control unit, which selects the PCR instrument, experimental mode and subsequent report generation, etc., to achieve the systematization and programming of material loading / unloading, monitoring and result generation. The label generally contains information such as the category of the material. After the system recognizes the label information, it can configure suitable operation modes for different types of materials according to their characteristics, and grasp the operation progress of each PCR instrument according to the length of time of different pre-stored operation modes, so as to efficiently coordinate the parallel work of each PCR instrument.

[0030] In addition, preferably, the PCR workstation also includes a display for displaying one or more of the task progress information, prompt information, test result information, and material information of the PCR instrument.

[0031] In addition, preferably, the PCR workstation also includes a printer for printing a test report, and the printer is communicatively connected to the control unit.

[0032] According to the preferred solution, a printer is provided to print the test report in real time, so that it cooperates with the aforementioned PCR instrument, material handling components and camera to automatically complete tasks such as material scanning, loading / unloading of the PCR instrument, and report generation. No manual operation is required in the intermediate process, which is intelligent and convenient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a PCR workstation in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of a PCR workstation in an embodiment of the present invention (the front side of the cabinet is hidden to facilitate display of the internal structure of the cabinet);

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the middle A part;

[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the middle B part;

[0037] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the middle C part;

[0038] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the middle D part;

[0039] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the control end of the PCR workstation in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Description of reference numerals:

[0041] 1. Cabinet; 11. Feeding port; 12. Universal wheel; 13. Support foot; 14. High-efficiency filter unit; 15. Fan; 2. PCR instrument; 21. Housing; 22. Material carrier; 23. Carrier drive; 3. Material handling assembly; 31. Handling carrier; 32. Material transfer suction cup; 33. X-axis motion mechanism; 331. X-axis chain; 332. X-axis motor; 34. Y-axis motion mechanism; 341. Y-axis track; 342. Y-axis motor; 35. Z-axis motion mechanism; 351. Z-axis track; 36. Material transfer slide rail; 37. Material transfer slider; 38. Material transfer drive; 39. Material feeding slide rail; 34. Control unit; 5. PCR bracket; 6. Camera; 7. Task allocation module; 8. Display; 9. Printer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the specification. The accompanying drawings schematically and simply show the structure of a PCR workstation.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0044] In this article, the term "high-efficiency filter unit" refers to a filter unit that can capture dust particles larger than 0.3um and various suspended solids, and the capture efficiency reaches more than 99.9%, such as H12-H14 grade high-efficiency filters. It should be noted that the term "high-efficiency filter unit" in this article should include "ultra-high-efficiency filter units", such as ultra-high-efficiency filter units above U15 grade.

[0045] The embodiment of the present invention provides a PCR workstation, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cabinet 1 includes six PCR instruments 2 (three of which are placed on the upper layer and three on the lower layer, and for the convenience of illustration, only one of them is marked with a reference numeral), a material handling component 3 (see Figure 4 A material inlet 11 is provided on the surface of the cabinet 1 (see Figure 3 ), for materials to enter the cabinet 1 from the material inlet 11. The material handling component 3 transports the materials entering the cabinet 1 to the corresponding one of the multiple PCR instruments 2 one by one, and can remove the waste materials from the corresponding PCR instrument after the experiment is completed. The PCR workstation also includes a control unit 4 (see Figure 7), multiple PCR instruments 2 and material handling components 3 are all communicated with the control unit 4, so as to control the operation of the multiple PCR instruments 2 and material handling components 3.

[0046] Compared with the prior art, the PCR workstation provided in this embodiment integrates multiple groups of PCR experiments in the cabinet 1 for parallel processing. Through the automated loading / unloading and detection of materials, on the one hand, the automation degree of the PCR experiment can be improved and the detection efficiency can be improved; on the other hand, the nucleic acid product aerosols of multiple PCR instruments can be centrally processed to improve the processing efficiency of nucleic acid product aerosols. By setting a control unit 4 to control the action of the material handling component 3, the material handling component 3 transports the materials to the multiple PCRs inside the cabinet 1, without the need for manual material handling and delivery of the materials to the inside of the cabinet 1, reducing the gas circulation inside and outside the cabinet 1, and also reducing the contact between the experimenter and the inside of the cabinet 1, further increasing the safety of the PCR experiment. Using the intensive single feed port 11 to put in materials can also reduce the operating difficulty of the experimenter, further reduce the skill requirements of the PCR experiment for the personnel, and improve the operating efficiency.

[0047] By setting up a control unit 4 to control the action of the PCR instrument 2, there is no need for humans to enter the cabinet 1 to start the PCR instrument 2. The PCR instrument 2 automatically and intelligently performs PCR experiments on the materials, further reducing the gas circulation inside and outside the cabinet 1, and also reducing the contact between the experimenter and the inside of the cabinet 1, thereby increasing the safety of the PCR experiment.

[0048] The cabinet 1 in this embodiment is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, and the bottom area of ​​the cabinet 1 is 0.7-1.2m 2 , occupying a small area. Universal wheels 12 are arranged at the bottom of the cabinet 1, which facilitate the movement and transportation of the cabinet, and are convenient and labor-saving. Retractable legs 13 can also be arranged at the bottom of the cabinet 1. After the cabinet 1 is moved to a designated position, the legs 13 are used to prop up the cabinet 1 and fix the position of the cabinet 1.

[0049] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the feed inlet 11 is opened on the side of the cabinet 1, preferably near the bottom. In some embodiments, the feed inlet 11 can also serve as an air inlet of the cabinet 1. An air outlet (not shown) is also provided on the top of the cabinet 1. The single feed inlet 11 and the single air outlet define a one-way path for air to circulate inside the cabinet 1.

[0050] In particular, the cabinet 1 is divided into two parts, front and back, which are spliced ​​and arranged, a plurality of PCR instruments 2 are arranged in the rear space of the cabinet 1, a material handling assembly 3 is arranged in the front space of the cabinet 1, and a material inlet 11 is opened on the front side wall of the cabinet 1. With such an arrangement, the internal components of the cabinet 1 are in order and do not interfere with each other, and the front space of the cabinet 1 provides a space for loading / unloading materials.

[0051] Aerosols and other harmful substances generated during the experiment flow toward the air outlet along with the air flow. If aerosols and other harmful substances are discharged from the air outlet to the outside of the cabinet 1, they will pollute the environment outside the cabinet 1. Therefore, see Figure 1 As shown, a high-efficiency filter unit 14 is filled and arranged at the air outlet of the cabinet 1, and the high-efficiency filter unit 14 is used to filter the gas discharged from the air outlet.

[0052] Aerosols and other harmful substances generated during the experiment are carried away from the vicinity of the PCR instrument 2 by the airflow. On the one hand, this prevents aerosols and other harmful substances from spreading in the cabinet 1 and causing pollution. On the other hand, the airflow reaches the air outlet and is filtered and purified by the high-efficiency filter unit 14 before being discharged. The harmful substances are filtered out by the high-efficiency filter unit 14, so that the gas discharged to the outside of the cabinet 1 is clean, which facilitates PCR experiments without a dedicated PCR laboratory.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present invention, the high efficiency filter unit 14 may use a high efficiency filter or an ultra high efficiency filter with a filtration grade of not less than 99.9%. Through research on the existing high efficiency filter units 14 of various grades, it is found that the above high efficiency filter or ultra high efficiency filter can effectively remove all or most types of harmful substances in PCR experiments, thereby providing an excellent experimental space for these biological experiments, and facilitating the implementation of biological experiments in an environment without a dedicated PCR biological laboratory.

[0054] The cabinet 1 provided in this embodiment is also provided with a fan 15, which is connected to the control unit 4 in communication, and preferably responsively turned on before the material carrier 22 is removed from the housing 21. After the fan 15 is started, a one-way air path is formed inside the cabinet 1, passing through multiple PCR instruments 2 and heading toward the air outlet. The fan 15 can promote the air circulation inside the cabinet 1, and adjust the air circulation path, so that the air flows through multiple PCR instruments 2 to take away harmful substances such as aerosols generated in the experiment from the PCR instruments 2 and reach the air outlet, thereby improving the filtration and purification of the cabinet 1 by the high-efficiency filter unit 14. In addition, by configuring the fan 15 to be turned on in advance in response to the removal of the material carrier 22, the material carrier 22 can be placed in the air flow every time it is removed for loading / unloading operations, thereby cleaning the nucleic acid product aerosol on the surface of the material and the material carrier 22, keeping the material carrier 22 clean, and avoiding interference with the experimental results.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present invention, the location of the fan 15 is not limited and can be adjusted as needed. For example, it can be located adjacent to the high-efficiency filtering unit 14, adjacent to the feed port 11, or at any other suitable location.

[0056] The material in this embodiment is a PCR tube (not shown) loaded with a sample solution. After the PCR tube is transferred to the PCR instrument 2 by the material handling component 3, the PCR instrument 2 adjusts the internal temperature and the DNA in the sample solution is amplified.

[0057] Generally, a group of experiments needs to detect multiple sample solutions at the same time. Therefore, multiple PCR tubes are integrated and placed in the same material container, such as the PCR bracket 5 in this embodiment. The material handling component 3 moves the PCR bracket 5 and places the PCR bracket 5 in the PCR instrument 2, that is, the multiple PCR tubes are transported into the PCR instrument 2.

[0058] In particular, a label (not shown) is provided on the PCR tray 5 or the PCR tube. The label may be a QR code or an RFID tag. The label stores the information of the PCR tray 5 or the PCR tube or other required information.

[0059] The PCR workstation also includes a camera 6 that is in communication with the control unit 4. The camera 6 cooperates with the label set on the PCR bracket 5 or the PCR tube to capture the label to obtain image information of the label, and then transmits it to the control unit 4. The control unit 4 obtains material information based on the image information, and then sets the operating mode of the PCR instrument 2 that processes the material.

[0060] Specifically, the camera 6 photographs the label on the PCR bracket 5 or the PCR tube to obtain the image information of the label. The camera 6 sends the image information of the photographed label to the control unit 4. The control unit 4 obtains the information of the PCR bracket 5 or the PCR tube according to the image information, and controls the work of the material handling component 3 and the PCR instrument 2 in a linked manner, and then generates the subsequent test report, etc., so as to realize the systematization and programming of material loading / unloading, testing and result generation, without manual participation, and the experimental process is intelligent and convenient. The label, the camera 6, and the control unit 4 form a barcode management system, which associates the test sample, the PCR tube and the report, and the entire test experiment is simple to operate with a low error rate.

[0061] In other embodiments, the material may also refer to a PCR tube loaded with a sample solution, or to a PCR rack 5 and the PCR tube thereon. The camera 6 may not collect label information, but collects position information of each component to facilitate fine control.

[0062] There are multiple PCR instruments 2, which are arranged in two equal rows inside the cabinet 1. The multiple PCR instruments 2 are located above the feed port 11 in the vertical direction, so that the material is located below the PCR instrument 2 when entering the cabinet 1 from the feed port 11, and the movement of the material is not blocked by the PCR instrument 2. The multiple PCR instruments 2 are all connected to the control unit 4 in communication, so that multiple groups of PCR experiments can be carried out simultaneously, and the PCR experiments are more efficient. The control unit 4 can also be used to intelligently allocate and load experiments to improve the utilization rate of the PCR instrument 2.

[0063] See also Figure 5 As shown, the PCR instrument 2 includes a housing 21, a material carrier 22, and a carrier driving member 23 that drives the material carrier 22 to reciprocate. The carrier driving member 23 is in communication with the control unit 4, and thus operates under the control of the control unit 4 to drive the material carrier 22 to move out of or into the housing 21. The carrier driving member 23 operates under the control of the control unit 4, and thus drives the material carrier 22 to move out of or into the housing 21. Before the start of the PCR experiment, the carrier driving member 23 drives the material carrier 22 to move out of the housing 21, and the material handling component 3 transports the material to the top of the material carrier 22, and the carrier driving member 23 drives the material carrier 22 to enter the housing 21 again, sealing the internal environment of the PCR instrument 2, and realizing the loading of the material. Before the end of the PCR experiment, the carrier driving member 23 drives the material carrier 22 to move out of the housing 21, and the material handling component 3 removes the material from the material carrier 22 to realize the unloading of the material.

[0064] Through the cooperation of the carrier driving component 23, the material carrier 22 and the material handling component 3, the material is transported to the material carrier 22 before the experiment starts and when the material carrier 22 moves out of the shell 21, and the material is removed from the material carrier 22 when the material carrier 22 moves out of the shell 21 after the experiment ends, thereby realizing automatic loading and unloading of materials, reducing manual participation and saving costs.

[0065] The carrier driving member 23 is not shown in the present embodiment, and it may be a push rod motor, a lead screw assembly or a cylinder, etc., and is not limited to its specific form, as long as it can drive the material carrier 22 to reciprocate on the same straight line.

[0066] The material handling assembly 3 includes a three-axis linkage mechanism and a handling carrier 31, and the three-axis linkage mechanism is connected to the handling carrier 31 by transmission and is connected to the control unit 4 by communication. The handling carrier 31 has a plurality of material transfer suction cups 32, and the plurality of material transfer suction cups 32 are adapted to the container of the material, that is, the shape of the PCR bracket 5. Under the control of the control unit 4, the three-axis linkage mechanism can drive the handling carrier 31 to translate in three orthogonal directions, so as to realize the three-dimensional movement of the handling carrier 31 in space, thereby using the material transfer suction cups 32 to adsorb the material container and realize the transfer of the material. The three-axis linkage mechanism has a simple structure, a high degree of integration, and can realize three-dimensional precise positioning.

[0067] In this embodiment, combined with Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the three-axis linkage mechanism includes an X-axis motion mechanism 33, a Y-axis motion mechanism 34, and a Z-axis motion mechanism 35 that move orthogonally in pairs. Among them, the motion direction of the X-axis motion mechanism 33 is horizontal traverse. The X-axis motion mechanism 33 in this embodiment includes an X-axis chain 331 and an X-axis motor 332 that drives the X-axis chain 331 to move. The X-axis motion mechanism 33 is arranged on the Y-axis motion mechanism 34. The motion direction of the Z-axis motion mechanism 35 is vertical. The Z-axis motion mechanism 35 in this embodiment includes a Z-axis track 351 and a Z-axis motor (not shown in the figure) that drives the transport carrier 31 to move on the Z-axis track 351. The Z-axis motion mechanism 35 is arranged on the X-axis motion mechanism 33. The motion direction of the Y-axis motion mechanism 34 is orthogonal to the horizontal and vertical directions. The Y-axis motion mechanism 34 in this embodiment includes a Y-axis track 341 and a Y-axis motor 342 that drives the X-axis chain 331 to move along the Y direction as a whole.

[0068] Of course, in some other embodiments of the present invention, the specific structures of the X-axis motion mechanism 33, the Y-axis motion mechanism 34 and the Z-axis motion mechanism 35 may also be different, and are not limited to a certain structure, as long as they can drive the transport carrier 31 to translate in three orthogonal directions.

[0069] Combination Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the material handling assembly 3 also includes a material moving slide rail 36, a material moving slider 37, and a material moving driving member 38 for driving the material moving slider 37 to slide on the material moving slide rail 36, and the material moving driving member 38 is connected to the control unit 4 in communication. The material moving slide rail 36 extends horizontally inside the cabinet 1, and one end thereof is arranged near the feed inlet 11. The material moving slider 37 is used to carry the PCR bracket 5, and works under the control of the control unit 4. The material moving driving member 38 drives the material moving slider 37 to move, and the material moving slider 37 drives the PCR bracket 5 carried thereon to enter the interior of the cabinet 1 from the feed inlet 11.

[0070] The material transfer drive component 38 can be a push rod motor, a screw assembly or a cylinder, etc. The material transfer drive component 38 in this embodiment is a conveyor belt, which is not limited to its specific form, as long as it can drive the material transfer slider 37 to reciprocate on the material transfer slide rail 36.

[0071] Taking material loading as an example, the action of the three-axis linkage mechanism is explained.

[0072] The aforementioned camera 6 is fixedly mounted on the transport carrier 31, and the camera 6 is oriented vertically downward. When the material transfer slider 37 drives the material into the cabinet 1, the control unit 4 controls the X-direction motion mechanism 33 of the three-axis linkage mechanism to move, thereby driving the transport carrier 31 to move in the horizontal direction, and / or the control unit 4 controls the movement of the material transfer drive 38, thereby driving the material transfer slider 37 to move in the horizontal direction, until the camera 6 captures the label and stops the horizontal movement of the transport carrier 31 and / or the material transfer slider 37. At this time, the transport carrier 31 and the camera 6 are located directly above the PCR bracket 5.

[0073] The Y-direction motion mechanism 34 of the three-axis linkage mechanism operates under the control of the control unit 4, first driving the transport carrier 31 to move vertically downward until the material transfer suction cup 32 is adsorbed on the surface of the PCR bracket 5, and then driving the transport carrier 31 to move vertically upward, bringing the PCR bracket 5 and the PCR tubes thereon away from the material transfer slider 37 and moving upward until they move to the same height as the PCR instrument 2 to be used. At the same time, the carrier drive 23 operates under the control of the control unit 4, driving the material carrier 22 to move out of the housing 21.

[0074] The Z-direction motion mechanism 35 of the three-axis linkage mechanism moves under the control of the control unit 4 to carry the PCR bracket 5 and the PCR tubes thereon to the material carrier 22 that is moved out of the housing 21. The carrier drive 23 moves again under the control of the control unit 4 to drive the material carrier 22 into the housing 21.

[0075] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a feed slide 39 is also provided outside the cabinet 1, one end of which is connected to the end of the material transfer slide 36 at the feed port 11, and the material transfer slide 37 can move on the feed slide 39 and the material transfer slide 36. With such a configuration, the experimenter can place the material above the material transfer slide 37 at the feed port 11 to complete the loading operation, which is simple and convenient to operate.

[0076] Furthermore, in other embodiments of the present invention, the feed slide 39 can also be configured to be slidably connected to the material transfer slide 36. Under the drive of the material transfer drive 38, the feed slide 39 can drive the material to slide from the outside of the cabinet 1 into the inside of the cabinet 1. At the same time, a door panel is provided at the end of the feed slide 39 that is further away from the material transfer slide 36. The outer diameter of the door panel is larger than the inner diameter of the feed port 11. After the feed slide 39 slides into the inside of the cabinet 1, the door panel abuts against the feed port 11 to prevent the feed slide 39 from further sliding.

[0077] See also Figure 7 As shown, the control unit 4 includes a task allocation module 7, which can assign the corresponding PCR instrument 2 for the material to be processed according to the task progress information of multiple PCR instruments 2. By allocating the adapted PCR instrument 2 by the task allocation module 7, the order and mode of multiple groups of PCR experiments can be freely designed. When inserting a new PCR experiment, there is no need to wait for a long time, and the PCR experiment is more flexible and efficient.

[0078] The task allocation module 7 may be integrated into the control unit 4 , or may be provided independently of the control unit 4 .

[0079] See also Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, the PCR workstation also includes a display 8, which is used to display one or more of the task progress information, prompt information, test result information, and material information of the PCR instrument 2. The display 8 displays the experimental progress in real time, which is also convenient for the experimenter to query and understand the experimental progress of the entire PCR workstation. One side of the display 8 is hingedly set on the side wall of the cabinet 1, and the height is between 1.5-1.7m, which is convenient for the experimenter to view the information.

[0080] The control unit 4 may be integrated into the display 8 or may be provided independently of the display 8 .

[0081] Preferably, the display 8 can be a touch screen to form a human-computer interaction interface, which is convenient for the experimenter to use the display 8 to view the experimental progress, set the work program, etc., which is simple and convenient.

[0082] See also Figure 7 As shown, the PCR workstation also includes a printer 9, which is connected to the control unit 4 for operation under the control of the control unit 4 to print the test report. The printer 9 is configured to print the test report in real time, so as to cooperate with the aforementioned PCR instrument 2, material handling component 3 and camera 6 to automatically complete the tasks of scanning the material, loading / unloading the PCR instrument 2, and outputting the report, without manual operation in the intermediate process, which is intelligent and convenient.

[0083] The printer 9 in this embodiment may be integrated into the display 8 , or may be independently provided in the cabinet 1 and the display 8 .

[0084] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in the above-mentioned embodiments, many technical details are provided in order to enable readers to better understand the present application. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the above-mentioned embodiments, the technical solutions claimed for protection in the claims of the present application can be basically realized. Therefore, in practical applications, various changes can be made to the above-mentioned embodiments in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A PCR workstation, characterized in that: include: Cabinets; A plurality of PCR instruments are arranged inside the cabinet; The PCR instrument comprises: shell; a material carrier, capable of reciprocatingly moving out of or into the housing for sampling the material; and A carrier driving member, which is in driving connection with the material carrier and in communication connection with the control unit, and the carrier driving member can drive the material carrier to move out of or enter the housing under the control of the control unit; A material inlet is provided on the surface of the cabinet for placing materials therein; A material handling assembly is arranged inside the cabinet and is used to carry the material put into the material inlet to the multiple PCR instruments or to remove the material from the multiple PCR instruments; the material handling assembly includes a three-axis linkage mechanism and a handling carrier, and the handling carrier can be translated in three orthogonal directions under the drive of the three-axis linkage mechanism; A control unit is in communication with the plurality of PCR instruments and the material handling component; the control unit includes a task allocation module, the task allocation module can assign a corresponding PCR instrument to the material to be processed according to the task progress information of the plurality of PCR instruments; A high-efficiency filter unit is provided with an air outlet at the top of the cabinet, and the high-efficiency filter unit is filled at the air outlet; A fan, disposed inside the cabinet, for forming a one-way air path passing through the multiple PCR instruments and moving toward the air outlet; The blower is responsively turned on before the material carrier is removed from the housing.

2. The PCR workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transport carrier has a plurality of material transfer suction cups, and the plurality of material transfer suction cups are adapted to the shape of the container of the material.

3. The PCR workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The PCR workstation also includes: A camera, connected to the control unit for photographing a label provided on a container of the material to obtain image information of the label; The control unit sets the operating mode of the PCR instrument for processing the material according to the image information.

4. The PCR workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The PCR workstation also includes a display for displaying one or more of task progress information, prompt information, test result information, and material information of the PCR instrument.

5. The PCR workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a printer, which is communicatively connected to the control unit and is used to print a detection report.

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