Pipette and pipetting method

Abstract

The present invention provides a pipettor and a pipetting method. The pipettor includes a housing, a driving device, six injection components, and a transmission device. The housing has an inner cavity. The driving device is arranged outside the housing. The injection components are arranged through the housing, wherein the six injection components are arranged in a 2×3 matrix form. At least a part of the transmission device is arranged in the inner cavity. The transmission device is connected to each of the six injection components and the driving device to enable the six injection components to suck or discharge liquid synchronously. According to the pipettor and the pipetting method of the present invention, by setting a reasonable working mode, the pipettor can be configured on pipetting workstations for different purposes, and can not only be applicable to conventional target plate vessels, but also be applicable to ultra-small target plate vessels, thereby greatly improving the preparation efficiency of target plate samples without wasting the utilization rate of the injection cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pipettes, and particularly to pipettes and pipetting methods. Background Art

[0002] With the development of pipettes and their related technologies in the fields of life sciences, clinical testing, molecular medicine, biosafety, biopharmaceuticals and health, etc., detection applications at the molecular level cover many industries such as clinical diagnosis, clinical molecular diagnosis, molecular pathological diagnosis, life sciences, bioinformatics, biosafety protection, pharmaceutical research, etc., and are widely used as important detection instruments in institutions of higher learning, scientific research institutes, health care institutions, CDC (Centers for Disease Control), animal and plant quarantine, food safety, aquaculture and livestock breeding, public security, bioterrorism prevention, pharmaceutical R & D and other departments and units.

[0003] In the detection of related fields, many pre-treatment works often need to be carried out on biological materials and samples (usually liquid), thus requiring a large amount of manpower for manual pipetting, sample addition, mixing and other works, making the pre-treatment work of samples face problems such as low efficiency, low repetition rate, high error rate, and easy contamination of operators. Therefore, high-throughput automated biological sample pre-treatment equipment is needed to enable pipetting, sample addition, mixing and other operations to be carried out in batches in a short time and to prepare samples of a large number of biological specimens.

[0004] Since there are various types of target plate vessels for loading biological samples, a biological sample automated processing system that can adapt to various target plate vessels has currently become an essential basic equipment in a complete system for modern life science research and biotechnology applications. The pipette of the present invention is the core technical unit in the biological sample automated processing system and can be applied to a pipetting workstation composed of a multi-channel electric pipette combination.

[0005] Regarding this technical unit, we can equivalently regard it as an electric syringe. Since the working objects of the electric syringe are various target plate vessels for different purposes and that have been standardized, when the number of injection cavities of the electric syringe is greater than 2, the center distance between the central axes of adjacent injection cavities must meet the requirement of the basic center distance of the target plate vessel (usually 9 mm), making the structural space between the injection cavities of the syringe extremely narrow, and various mechanical parts, motors and sensors for various purposes and other components also need to be installed in such a narrow space. Based on the above defects and deficiencies, the technical competition among different manufacturers mainly lies in the structural form of the liquid transfer actuator. The existing technical solutions at home and abroad are mainly divided into two types according to the different liquid suction driving methods of the pipette: gas-liquid mixing displacement type and gas displacement type.

[0006] The gas-liquid mixed displacement pipette consists of an electric industrial injection pump, a syringe, a reversing valve, a voltage stabilizer, a catheter, a pipette tip, a sensor, and a pipetting actuator. The rear end of the catheter is connected to the syringe of the electric industrial injection pump via a voltage stabilizer, a reversing valve, a pressure sensor, etc. The electric industrial injection pump fills the syringe and the catheter with liquid, forming a liquid plunger with the function of the syringe plunger. The front end of the catheter and its components are docked with the replaceable pipette tip, and only an air gap is reserved in the pipette tip to isolate the liquid plunger and the sample liquid. The advantage of this method is that the electric reciprocating injection mechanism, the pressure sensor, etc. are separated, and only a thin catheter enters the pipetting actuator, greatly reducing the design pressure and load of the pipetting actuator components and meeting the requirements of the basic center distance of the target plate vessel. At the same time, the distance between the reciprocating motion axis of the pipetting actuator and the perpendicular line of the mechanism fulcrum can be minimized, reducing the harmful tipping moment and fatigue deformation of the support components caused by the frequent press-in connection of the pipetting actuator along its axis with the pipette tip downward. And because the isolation air gap between the liquid plunger and the sample liquid is very small, the pipetting accuracy is high. The disadvantage is that there is a gas-liquid pipeline pressure system, with many components, complex debugging and high maintenance costs. And it is easy to leak liquid when the room temperature is low.

[0007] The gas displacement pipette consists of a motor, a syringe made of metal or other materials, a sensor, and a pipetting actuator. Usually, the reciprocating motion of the solid material plunger is driven by the motor through a coupling or other connecting components to drive a screw or a synchronous toothed belt. That is, components such as the electric reciprocating injection mechanism and the pressure sensor are assembled with the pipetting actuator, without complex pressure pipelines and pump systems, with a clear structure level, greatly reducing the workload of unit structure installation and debugging. The isolation air gap between the solid plunger and the sample liquid depends on the result of the structural design concession. The smaller the isolation air gap, the smaller the range of pipetting uncertainty, and vice versa, it will make the uncertainty range larger.

[0008] In view of this, the present invention provides a pipette, which belongs to the gas displacement pipette. This pipette can not only meet the center distance between the movement axes of adjacent injection cavities as the basic center distance of the target plate vessel, but also not waste the usage rate of the injection cavity. It can be applied not only to conventional target plate vessels, but also to ultra-small target plate vessels, greatly improving the preparation efficiency of the target plate sample, and having high economic practicality and scalability, thus at least partially solving the above defects and deficiencies existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a pipette. The pipette includes a housing, a driving device, six injection components, and a transmission device. The housing has an inner cavity. The driving device is disposed outside the housing. The injection components are disposed through the housing, wherein the six injection components are arranged in a 2×3 matrix form. At least a part of the transmission device is disposed in the inner cavity, and the transmission device is connected to each of the six injection components and the driving device to enable the six injection components to perform liquid suction or liquid discharge synchronously.

[0010] Preferably, each of the injection components includes an injection tube, a plunger, a seal, and a pipette tip. The injection tube is disposed through the housing, an injection cavity is formed inside the injection tube, and the lower end of the injection tube has a concave-convex portion. The plunger is disposed in the injection cavity, and the upper end of the plunger is connected to the transmission device to be able to move at least between a maximum liquid suction position and a maximum liquid discharge position. The seal is disposed outside the plunger and at the upper part of the injection cavity for sealing the injection cavity. The pipette tip is assembled at the concave-convex portion by interference fit.

[0011] Preferably, the driving device includes a motor, the motor has an axial extension, and the transmission device includes a kinematic pair, a screw pair, and a slider. The kinematic pair is connected to the housing, and the kinematic pair includes a driving synchronous pulley, a synchronous belt, and a follower synchronous pulley, wherein the driving synchronous pulley is fixedly connected to the axial extension. The screw pair is disposed in the inner cavity, and the screw pair includes a screw fixedly connected to the follower synchronous pulley and a backlash nut capable of moving up and down along the screw. The slider is disposed in the inner cavity, the slider is fixedly connected to the backlash nut and can slide up and down along the screw, and the lower end of the slider is connected to the upper end of the plunger.

[0012] Preferably, the plunger includes a plunger body and a stepped portion disposed at the upper end of the plunger body, and the lower end of the slider is provided with a notch, the notch includes a first inner diameter portion and a second inner diameter portion located at the lower end of the first inner diameter portion, the inner diameter of the first inner diameter portion is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the stepped portion, the inner diameter of the second inner diameter portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the first inner diameter portion to form an abutting surface in the notch, and the inner diameter of the second inner diameter portion is equal to the outer diameter of the plunger body, and the stepped portion can be fitted with the abutting surface above the abutting surface.

[0013] Preferably, an adjusting set screw and a first elastic member are disposed in the first inner diameter portion, the first elastic member abuts against the stepped portion above the stepped portion, the upper end of the adjusting set screw is connected to the slider, and the lower end of the adjusting set screw abuts against the upper end of the first elastic member.

[0014] Preferably, the transmission device further includes a guide rail pair, and the guide rail pair includes a smooth shaft and a linear bearing. The smooth shaft is fixedly arranged in the inner cavity. The linear bearing is arranged outside the smooth shaft and can slide up and down along the smooth shaft. The linear bearing is also arranged in the slider. The slider can slide along the guide rail pair.

[0015] Preferably, the pipette further includes a positioning mechanism, and the positioning mechanism includes a positioning piece and a reference position sensor. The positioning piece is arranged on the slider. The reference position sensor is arranged on the housing.

[0016] Preferably, the pipette further includes a pipette tip ejection mechanism, and the pipette tip ejection mechanism includes a push rod, a sliding pressure block and a second elastic member. The push rod is vertically arranged in the inner cavity and can slide vertically relative to the housing. The sliding pressure block is arranged outside the injection tube and can slide along the injection tube. The sliding pressure block is located below the push rod. The second elastic member is arranged outside the push rod. The upper end of the second elastic member is connected to the housing, and the lower end of the second elastic member is connected to the sliding pressure block.

[0017] Preferably, the center distance between two adjacent injection components is 9 mm.

[0018] The present invention also provides a pipetting method, and the pipetting method uses any one of the above pipettes.

[0019] According to the pipette and the pipetting method of the present invention, by setting a reasonable working mode, the pipette can be configured on pipetting workstations for different purposes. It can not only be applicable to conventional target plate vessels, but also be applicable to ultra-small target plate vessels, thereby greatly improving the preparation efficiency of target plate samples without wasting the utilization rate of the injection cavity. Description of the Drawings

[0020] The non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example with reference to the following drawings, wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 is a front view of a pipette according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cover plate of the housing is removed to clearly show the internal structure of the pipette;

[0022] Figure 2 is Figure 1 the cross-sectional view of the pipette shown in Figure 1 along the A-A line in

[0023] Figure 3 is Figure 1 the bottom view schematic diagram of the pipette shown in

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the pipetting operation process on the first target plate vessel using the pipette according to the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the pipetting operation process on the second target plate vessel using the pipette according to the present invention; and

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the pipetting operation process on the third target plate vessel using the pipette according to the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0028] In the first aspect of the present invention, a pipette is provided. Figure 1 It is a front view of the pipette according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the cover plate of the housing is removed to clearly show the internal structure of the pipette; Figure 2 It is Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of the pipette shown in Figure 1 along the line A-A; Figure 3 It is Figure 1 The bottom view of the pipette shown in Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the pipetting operation process on the first target plate vessel using the pipette according to the present invention; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the pipetting operation process on the second target plate vessel using the pipette according to the present invention; and Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the pipetting operation process on the third target plate vessel using the pipette according to the present invention. The pipette 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 6 As shown in

[0029] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, the pipette 100 includes a housing 110, a driving device 120 arranged outside the housing 110, six injection components 130 arranged through the housing 110, and a transmission device 140. Among them, the injection components 130 and the transmission device 140 constitute the actuating mechanism of the pipette 100.

[0030] As Figures 1 to 3As shown, the housing 110 has an inner cavity 115, which can form a receiving space to accommodate at least a part of the transmission device 140 of the pipette 100 and components such as the injection component 130. Specifically, in this embodiment, the housing 110 includes an upper end block 2, a lower end block 13, and a frame 6 disposed between the upper end block 2 and the lower end block 13. The upper end block 2 and the lower end block 13 can be connected to the frame 6 by welding or by means of threaded fasteners, and together with the frame 6 enclose an inner cavity 115 with a front-side opening. In addition, the housing 110 further includes a cover plate 24 that covers the front-side opening of the inner cavity 115. The cover plate 24 can be detachably connected to the upper end block 2 and the lower end block 3 by means of threaded fasteners, so as to facilitate the setting of at least a part of the transmission device 140 of the pipette 100, the injection component 130 and other components in the inner cavity 115.

[0031] At least a part of the housing 110 can be made of a metal material with relatively high strength (such as aluminum, copper, steel, etc.) to facilitate providing the mechanical strength required to support the various components inside the housing 110. Preferably, in this embodiment, the housing 110 is made of an aluminum alloy with a relatively low density.

[0032] As Figure 1 shown, the drive device 120 is disposed outside the housing and is fixedly connected to the housing 110. Specifically, in this embodiment, the drive device 120 is fixedly connected to the upper end block 2 of the housing 110. The drive device 120 can provide energy for the injection component 130 during the operation of the pipette 100.

[0033] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, the pipette 110 further includes six injection components 130, and the injection components 130 are disposed through the housing 110. Specifically, in this embodiment, the injection components 130 are vertically disposed through the lower end block 13 of the housing 110. Liquid can be sucked into the injection components 130 or discharged from the injection components 130. In addition, the six injection components 130 are arranged in a 2×3 matrix form. Arranged in this way, by setting a reasonable working mode, the pipette 100 of the present invention can be configured on liquid transfer workstations for different purposes, and can not only be applicable to conventional target plate vessels, but also be applicable to ultra-small target plate vessels, thereby greatly improving the preparation efficiency of target plate samples without wasting the utilization rate of the injection cavity. The operation process of liquid transfer using the pipette 100 of the present invention will be described in more detail later in conjunction with Figures 4 to 6 the operation process of using the pipette 100 of the present invention for liquid transfer will be described in more detail.

[0034] As Figures 1 to 2As shown, the transmission device 140 is connected to each of the six injection components 130 and the driving device 120 to enable the six injection components 130 to suck or discharge liquid synchronously. Specifically, in this embodiment, at least a part of the transmission device 140 is disposed in the inner cavity 115 of the housing 110, so as to be connected to each of the six injection components 130 in the inner cavity 115 of the housing 110, and the transmission device 140 is connected to the driving device 120, such that the driving device 120 can drive the six injection components 130 to suck or discharge liquid synchronously through the transmission device 140, ensuring the consistency of the actions of the six injection components 130.

[0035] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, each of the injection components 130 includes an injection tube 14, a plunger 17, a seal 26, and a pipetting head 16. The injection tube 14 is disposed through the housing 110 and is fixedly disposed relative to the housing 110. An injection cavity 131 is formed inside the injection tube 14, and the lower end of the injection tube 14 has a concave-convex portion. Specifically, in this embodiment, the injection tube 14 passes through the lower end block 13 of the housing 110. The plunger 17 is disposed in the injection cavity 131, and the upper end of the plunger 17 is connected to the transmission device 140 to be able to move at least between the maximum liquid suction position and the maximum liquid discharge position. It should be noted that the "maximum liquid suction position" here refers to the position where the plunger 17 is located when the maximum range of liquid is sucked in the injection component 130 (specifically, the pipetting head 16 with the maximum volume or range of the injection component 130 to be described in detail below). It can be understood that in this embodiment, the maximum liquid suction position is the position where the lower end of the plunger 17 is located at the uppermost end of the injection cavity 131. Correspondingly, the "maximum liquid discharge position" refers to the position where the plunger 17 is located when the liquid is completely discharged from the injection component 130. When the plunger 17 moves towards the maximum liquid suction position, the injection component 130 sucks liquid, and when the plunger 17 moves towards the maximum liquid discharge position, the injection component 130 discharges liquid. The seal 26 is disposed outside the plunger 17 and at the upper part of the injection cavity 131 for sealing the injection cavity 131. The pipetting head 16 is assembled at the concave-convex portion at the lower end of the injection tube 14 by interference fit to achieve static sealing. Among them, according to needs, pipetting heads 16 with different ranges can be assembled at the concave-convex portion at the lower end of the injection tube 14. For example, the pipetting head 16 can be a standardized pipetting head with a volume of 10 microliters to 1000 microliters. The pipetting head 16 is a disposable item, usually made of plastic, belonging to consumables, and is discarded after one liquid treatment. And among them, the injection tube 14 can be inserted into the pipetting head 16 by axially moving downward together with the housing 100, so as to insert different-range disposable pipetting heads 16 by using the concave-convex structure of the injection tube 14.

[0036] During the liquid suction process, the pipette tip 16 is immersed in the liquid to be aspirated, and the plunger 17 is driven by the transmission device 140 to move upward towards the maximum liquid suction position, and the liquid is aspirated into the pipette tip 16; during the liquid discharge process, the plunger 17 is driven by the transmission device 140 to move downward towards the maximum discharge position, and the liquid is discharged from the pipette tip 16. It should be noted that during the liquid suction or discharge process, the liquid does not enter the injection chamber 131 but only stays within the pipette tip 16, thus avoiding cross-contamination of the liquid. Therefore, the volume of each liquid handling depends on the volume of the pipette tip 16 used, and the range of the liquid handling depends on the volume of the plunger 17 or the maximum liquid suction position of the plunger 17. Among them, the maximum pipetting position of the plunger 17 can be configured such that during the liquid suction process, the liquid just fills the pipette tip 16 with the maximum volume or range without entering the injection chamber 131.

[0037] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, the injection component 130 further includes a seal adjusting nut 12 to press the seal 26 against the upper part of the injection chamber 131. Specifically, in this embodiment, the seal 26 is an O-ring and is clamped between the injection tube 14 and the seal adjusting nut 12. The O-ring 26 and the seal adjusting nut 12 can slidably seal-connect the injection tube 14 and the plunger 17 to achieve sliding sealing. During the liquid suction process, the transmission device 140 drives the plunger 17 to move upward along the axial direction of the plunger 17, so that the liquid is aspirated into the pipette tip 16, and during the liquid discharge process, the transmission device 140 drives the plunger 17 to move downward along the axial direction of the plunger 17, so that the liquid is discharged from the pipette tip 16.

[0038] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, the drive device 120 includes a motor 1. The motor 1 has a shaft extension 121, and the transmission device 140 includes a kinematic pair 141, a screw pair 142, and a slider 10.

[0039] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, the kinematic pair 141 is connected to the housing 110. The kinematic pair 141 includes a driving synchronous pulley 3, a synchronous belt 4, and a follower synchronous pulley 5, where the driving synchronous pulley 3 is connected to the shaft extension 121 of the motor 1. Specifically, in this embodiment, the kinematic pair 141 is connected to the upper end block 2 of the housing 110, and the driving synchronous pulley 3 is fixedly connected to the shaft extension 121 of the motor 1 to be able to move together with the shaft extension 121 of the motor 1, and the inner teeth of the synchronous belt 4 can mesh with the outer teeth of the driving synchronous pulley 3 and the follower synchronous pulley 5, so that when the shaft extension 121 of the motor 1 drives the driving synchronous pulley 3 to rotate, the driving synchronous pulley 3 can drive the follower synchronous pulley 5 to rotate together through the synchronous belt 4. Preferably, the motor 1 is also provided with an encoder (not shown) to facilitate the control of the movement parameters such as the rotation speed, forward and reverse rotation of the motor 1.

[0040] The screw pair 142 is arranged in the inner cavity 115. The screw pair 142 includes a screw 8 fixedly connected to the follower synchronous pulley 5 and a backlash nut 20 capable of moving up and down along the screw 8. Among them, the backlash nut 20 is threadedly connected to the screw 8, so that the backlash nut 20 can move axially upward or downward along the screw 8. Preferably, the screw pair 142 further includes an upper bearing 23 and a lower bearing 25 arranged outside the screw 8. Among them, the upper bearing 23 is also fixedly arranged in the upper end block 2 of the housing 110, and the lower bearing 25 is fixedly arranged in the lower end block 13 of the housing 110. In addition, the upper bearing 23, the lower bearing 25 and the screw 8 are coaxially arranged, so that the screw 8 remains vertical during rotation, thereby driving the backlash nut 20 to move axially upward or downward.

[0041] The slider 10 is arranged in the inner cavity 115. The slider 10 is fixedly connected to the backlash nut 20 and can slide up and down along the screw 8. The lower end of the slider 10 is connected to the upper end of the plunger 17. As described above, since the screw 8 can drive the backlash nut 20 to move axially upward or downward, and the backlash nut 20 is fixedly connected to the slider 10, and the lower end of the slider 10 is connected to the upper end of the plunger 17, it can be seen that when the follower synchronous pulley 5 drives the screw 8 to rotate, the slider 10 can slide up and down along the screw 8 to drive the plunger 17 to move up and down, and then suck or discharge liquid.

[0042] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, the plunger 17 includes a plunger body and a stepped portion 171 arranged at the upper end of the plunger body. The stepped portion 171 is connected to the plunger body and protrudes from the plunger body. A notch 28 is arranged at the lower end of the slider 10. The notch 28 includes a first inner diameter portion and a second inner diameter portion located at the lower end of the first inner diameter portion. The inner diameter of the first inner diameter portion is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the stepped portion 171 of the plunger 17. The inner diameter of the second inner diameter portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the first inner diameter portion to form an abutting surface in the notch 28, and the inner diameter of the second inner diameter portion is equal to the outer diameter of the plunger body. The stepped portion 171 of the plunger 17 can be attached to the abutting surface above the abutting surface. Arranged in this way, no displacement of the plunger 17 relative to the slider 10 occurs in the horizontal direction, which is beneficial to the accuracy of the injection component 130 during the liquid transfer process.

[0043] As Figures 1 to 2As shown, in this embodiment, the abutting surface in the notch 28A is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the plunger 17. A first elastic member 18 and an adjusting setscrew 19 are further provided in the first inner diameter portion of the notch 28 of the slider 10. Among them, the first elastic member 18 is disposed above the stepped portion 171 of the plunger 17 and abuts against the stepped portion 171 of the plunger 17. The adjusting setscrew 19 is disposed above the first elastic member 18. Wherein, the upper end of the adjusting setscrew 19 is connected to the slider 10, and the lower end of the adjusting setscrew 19 abuts against the upper end of the first elastic member 18. In the working state of the pipette 100, the first elastic member 18 is in a compressed state or a natural extended state. With this arrangement, no displacement of the plunger 17 relative to the slider 10 occurs in the vertical direction.

[0044] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, the transmission device 140 further includes a guide rail pair 145, and the guide rail pair 145 includes an optical axis 7 and a linear bearing (not shown). The optical axis 7 is fixedly disposed in the inner cavity 115. Specifically, in this embodiment, the guide rail pair 145 includes two optical axes 7, and the two optical axes 7 are arranged side by side and spaced apart on both sides of the screw 8 and pass through the slider 10 and are fixedly disposed between the upper end block 2 and the lower end block 13. The longitudinal axis of the optical axis 7 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the screw 8. The linear bearing is disposed outside the optical axis 7 and can slide up and down along the optical axis 7. The linear bearing is also disposed in the slider 10, wherein the slider 10 can slide along the guide rail pair 145. With this design, the optical axis 7 serves as a slide rail for the slider 10 to guide the slider 10 to slide up and down along the optical axis 7. Thus, when the driving device 120 drives the screw 8 to rotate, the backlash nut 20 drives the slider 10 to slide up and down along the optical axis 7, that is, the slider 10 can slide along the guide rail pair 145.

[0045] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, the pipette 100 further includes a positioning mechanism 150, and the positioning mechanism 150 includes a positioning piece 21 and a reference position sensor 22. The positioning piece 21 is disposed on the slider 10, and the reference position sensor 22 is disposed on the housing 110. Specifically, in this embodiment, the positioning piece 21 is disposed at the lower part of the slider 10, and the reference position sensor 22 is disposed on the upper surface of the lower end block 13 of the housing 110. The positioning piece 21 is vertically aligned with the reference position sensor 22, so that when the positioning piece 21 moves downward with the slider 10, the reference position sensor 22 can detect the position of the slider 10 by detecting the position of the positioning piece 21, and thus the initial position and the real-time position of the pipette tip 16 can be judged through the position of the slider 10. During initialization, the slider 10 drives the plunger 17 to move downward. When the positioning piece 21 on the slider 10 detects the initial position signal, the operation stops and this position is recorded as the initial position (reset). Preferably, the reference position sensor 22 can also be connected to the encoder of the motor 1 to feed back the real-time position of the slider 10 to the encoder. For example, the reference position sensor 22 can be a photoelectric sensor.

[0046] Optionally, as Figures 1 to 2 shown, the pipette 100 further includes a pipette tip ejection mechanism 160. The pipette tip ejection mechanism 160 includes a push rod 11, a sliding pressure block 15, and a second elastic member 27. The push rod 11 is vertically disposed in the inner cavity 115 and can slide vertically relative to the housing 110. The sliding pressure block 15 is disposed outside the injection tube 14 and can slide along the injection tube 14. The sliding pressure block 15 is located below the push rod 11. The second elastic member 27 is disposed outside the push rod 11. The upper end of the second elastic member 27 is connected to the housing 110, and the lower end of the second elastic member 27 is connected to the sliding pressure block 15. Specifically, in this embodiment, the push rod 11 passes through the lower end block 13 of the housing 110 and is vertically disposed in the inner cavity 115. The push rod 11 is located below the slider 10 and is fixedly connected to the sliding pressure block 15. In the pipetting state, the second elastic member 27 is in a natural stretched state. When a pipetting process is completed and the disposable pipette tip 16 needs to be unloaded, the slider 10 can move downward by several millimeters beyond the normal range. The slider 10 moves downward and pushes the push rod 11 and the sliding pressure block 15. The sliding pressure block 15 applies pressure to the upper part of the pipette tip 16 disposed outside the injection tube 14, so that the pipette tip 16 falls off from the injection tube 14. When the slider 10 no longer applies downward pressure to the push rod 11, the sliding pressure block 15 resets under the elastic force of the second elastic member 27.

[0047] As Figures 1 to 2 shown, in this embodiment, the sliding pressure block 15 of the pipette tip ejection mechanism 160 is directly sleeved outside the injection tube 14. By driving the push rod 11 and the sliding pressure block 15 to move downward through the slider 10, the pipette tip 16 can be ejected. The driving device 120 of the plunger 17 is directly used as the driving device of the sliding pressure block 15, with a simple and compact structure. There is no need to set up a complicated pipette tip ejection mechanism and driving electromagnetic components, reducing costs.

[0048] Preferably, as Figure 3 shown, the center distance between two adjacent injection components 130 is 9 mm. The 6 injection components 130 are arranged in a 2×3 matrix form, so that the pipette 100 of the present invention can be configured on pipetting workstations for different purposes under an automated architecture. By selecting a reasonable working mode, it can not only be applicable to target plate vessels with a basic center distance of 9 mm, but also be applicable to various target plate vessels with center distances of 4.5 mm and 2.25 mm. And during the sample preparation process, the channel utilization rate is not wasted. The working modes of the pipette 100 according to the present invention on target plates of different specifications will be described in detail below in combination with Figures 4 to 6 the detailed description of the working modes of the pipette 100 according to the present invention on target plates of different specifications.

[0049] Figures 4 to 6 shows the target plate vessels that have been standardized in the current market.

[0050] Figure 4The target plate vessel 200 is shown, wherein the target plate vessel 200 includes 96 accommodating parts 201 for accommodating samples. The 96 accommodating parts 201 are arranged and distributed in an 8×12 matrix form, and the center distance between two adjacent accommodating parts 201 is 9 mm. During the process of using the target plate vessel 200 to prepare samples, the pipette 100 first completes the sample preparation work on the 6 accommodating parts 201 located at site 0, and then moves the injection component 130 downward so that the injection component 130 is located above the 6 accommodating parts 201 at site 1 and completes the sample preparation work. Similarly, the injection component 130 is successively located above sites 2, 3, …, 15 respectively, and the sample preparation work is completed, so that the samples prepared by the injection component 130 are evenly distributed on each accommodating part 201 of the target plate vessel 200 and are only distributed in the accommodating parts of the target plate vessel 200, and will not be distributed outside the target plate vessel 200. Designed in this way, on the one hand, by using the pipette 100 of the present invention, samples can be prepared simultaneously in 6 accommodating parts 201, significantly improving the sample preparation efficiency. On the other hand, the prepared samples can be evenly distributed in the accommodating parts 201 and will not fall into other areas outside the target plate vessel 200.

[0051] Figure 5 The target plate vessel 300 is shown, wherein the target plate vessel 300 includes 96 accommodating parts 301 for accommodating samples. The 96 accommodating parts 301 are arranged and distributed in an 8×12 matrix form, and the center distance between two adjacent accommodating parts 301 is 4.5 mm. During the process of using the target plate vessel 300 to prepare samples, the pipette 100 first completes the sample preparation work on the 6 accommodating parts 301 located at site 0, and then moves the injection component 130 to above the 6 accommodating parts 301 at site 1 and completes the sample preparation work. Similarly, the injection component 130 is respectively located above sites 2, 3, …, 15, and the sample preparation work is completed, so that the samples prepared by the injection component 130 are evenly distributed on each accommodating part 301 of the target plate vessel 300 and are only distributed in the accommodating parts of the target plate vessel 300, and will not be distributed outside the target plate vessel 300. Designed in this way, on the one hand, by using the pipette 100 of the present invention, samples can be prepared simultaneously in 6 accommodating parts 301, significantly improving the sample preparation efficiency. On the other hand, by selecting a reasonable working mode, the prepared samples can be evenly distributed in the accommodating parts 301 and will not fall into other areas outside the target plate vessel 300.

[0052] Figure 6The target plate vessel 400 is shown, wherein the target plate vessel 400 includes 96 accommodating parts 401 for accommodating samples. The 96 accommodating parts 401 are arranged and distributed in an 8×12 matrix form, and the center distance between two adjacent accommodating parts 401 is 2.25 mm. During the process of preparing samples using the target plate vessel 400, the pipette 100 first completes the sample preparation work on the 6 accommodating parts 401 located at site 0, and then moves the injection component 130 above the 6 accommodating parts 401 at site 1 and completes the sample preparation work. Similarly, the injection component 130 is respectively located above sites 2, 3, …, 15, and the sample preparation work is completed, so that the samples prepared by the injection component 130 are evenly distributed on each accommodating part 401 of the target plate vessel 400 and are only distributed in the accommodating parts of the target plate vessel 400, rather than outside the target plate vessel 400. Designed in this way, on the one hand, by using the pipette 100 of the present invention, samples can be prepared simultaneously in 6 accommodating parts 401, significantly improving the sample preparation efficiency. On the other hand, by selecting a reasonable working mode, the prepared samples can be evenly distributed in the accommodating parts 401 and will not fall into other areas outside the target plate vessel 400.

[0053] Certainly, the pipette 100 of the present invention is also applicable to any number of stacked target plate vessels, such as two, three or more target plate vessels.

[0054] In summary, the pipette 100 of the present invention can be configured on liquid transfer workstations with different uses. It can not only be applicable to conventional target plate vessels, but also to ultra-small target plate vessels, thereby greatly improving the preparation efficiency of target plate samples without wasting the utilization rate of the injection cavity, and having high economic practicality and scalability.

[0055] In the second aspect of the present invention, a liquid transfer method is also provided, and this liquid transfer method uses any one of the above-mentioned pipettes.

[0056] Next, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 6 A detailed introduction will be given to the liquid transfer method for preparing samples using the pipette 100 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] When pipetting starts, the motor 1 is put into operation in a timely manner, driving the synchronous pulley 3 to drive the follower synchronous pulley 5 to rotate through the synchronous belt 4, thereby driving the screw rod 8 to rotate. The screw rod 8 drives the slider 10 to slide up and down along the optical axis 7 through the backlash nut 20. The slider 10 can drive the plunger 17 to move up and down in the syringe tube 14, thereby performing liquid suction or drainage. Among them, when the pipette tip 16 is immersed in the liquid, the plunger 17 moves upward, and the liquid is sucked into the pipette tip 16. When the plunger 17 moves downward, the liquid is discharged from the pipette tip 16. It should be noted that during the liquid suction or drainage process, the liquid does not enter the injection chamber 131, but only stays in the pipette tip 16, thereby avoiding cross-contamination of the liquid.

[0058] Select any one of the target plate vessels as shown in Figures 4 to 6 to prepare the sample. For example, select the target plate vessel 300 to prepare the sample. As shown in Figure 5 , the target plate vessel 300 includes 96 accommodating parts for accommodating the sample. The 96 accommodating parts 301 are arranged and distributed in a matrix form of 8×12, and the center distance between two adjacent accommodating parts 301 is 4.5 mm. During the process of using the target plate vessel 300 to prepare the sample, the pipettor 100 first completes the sample preparation work on the 6 accommodating parts 301 located at site 0, and then moves the injection component 130 above the 6 accommodating parts 301 at site 1 and completes the sample preparation work. Similarly, the injection component 130 is respectively located above sites 2, 3, …, 15, and the sample preparation work is completed, so that the samples prepared by the injection component 130 are evenly distributed on each accommodating part 301 of the target plate vessel 300, and are only distributed in the accommodating parts of the target plate vessel 300, rather than outside the target plate vessel 300.

[0059] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of concise description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as the combinations of these technical features do not conflict, they should be considered as the scope described in this specification.

[0060] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the above description and the drawings are merely exemplary and not restrictive. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipette, characterized in that, The pipette includes: a housing having an inner cavity; a driving device disposed outside the housing; six injection components passing through the housing, wherein the six injection components are arranged in a 2×3 matrix form; the center distance between two adjacent injection components is the same; and a transmission device, at least a part of which is disposed in the inner cavity, and the transmission device is connected to each of the six injection components and the driving device to enable the six injection components to perform liquid suction or liquid discharge synchronously; each of the injection components includes: an injection tube passing through the housing, an injection cavity formed inside the injection tube, and a concave-convex portion provided at the lower end of the injection tube; a plunger disposed in the injection cavity, the upper end of the plunger being connected to the transmission device to be able to move at least between a maximum liquid suction position and a maximum liquid discharge position; a seal disposed outside the plunger and at the upper part of the injection cavity for sealing the injection cavity; and a pipetting tip assembled at the concave-convex portion by interference fit; the driving device includes a motor having a shaft extension, and the transmission device includes: a kinematic pair connected to the housing, the kinematic pair including a driving synchronous pulley, a synchronous belt, and a follower synchronous pulley, wherein the driving synchronous pulley is fixedly connected to the shaft extension; a screw pair disposed in the inner cavity, the screw pair including a screw fixedly connected to the follower synchronous pulley and a backlash nut capable of moving up and down along the screw; and a slider disposed in the inner cavity, the slider being fixedly connected to the backlash nut and capable of sliding up and down along the screw, and the lower end of the slider being connected to the upper end of the plunger; the plunger includes a plunger body and a stepped portion provided at the upper end of the plunger body, and a notch is provided at the lower end of the slider, the notch including a first inner diameter portion and a second inner diameter portion located at the lower end of the first inner diameter portion, the inner diameter of the first inner diameter portion being greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the stepped portion, the inner diameter of the second inner diameter portion being smaller than the inner diameter of the first inner diameter portion to form an abutting surface in the notch, and the inner diameter of the second inner diameter portion being equal to the outer diameter of the plunger body, and the stepped portion can be fitted with the abutting surface above the abutting surface; an adjusting set screw and a first elastic member are disposed in the first inner diameter portion, the first elastic member abuts against the stepped portion above the stepped portion, the upper end of the adjusting set screw is connected to the slider, and the lower end of the adjusting set screw abuts against the upper end of the first elastic member.

2. The pipette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission device further includes a guide rail pair, and the guide rail pair includes: a light shaft fixedly disposed in the inner cavity; and a linear bearing disposed outside the light shaft and capable of sliding up and down along the light shaft, and the linear bearing is also disposed in the slider, wherein the slider can slide along the guide rail pair.

3. The pipette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipette further includes a positioning mechanism, and the positioning mechanism includes: A positioning piece, the positioning piece is arranged on the slider; and A reference position sensor, the reference position sensor is arranged on the housing.

4. The pipette according to claim 1, characterized in that The pipette further includes a pipette tip ejection mechanism, and the pipette tip ejection mechanism includes:[[]] A push rod, the push rod is vertically arranged in the inner cavity and can slide vertically relative to the housing; A sliding pressing block, the sliding pressing block is arranged outside the injection tube and can slide along the injection tube, and the sliding pressing block is located below the push rod; and A second elastic member, the second elastic member is arranged outside the push rod, the upper end of the second elastic member is connected to the housing, and the lower end of the second elastic member is connected to the sliding pressing block.

5. The pipette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center distance between two adjacent injection components is 9 mm.

6. A pipetting method, characterized in that, The pipetting method uses the pipette according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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