A nucleic acid detector

Abstract

The present invention discloses a nucleic acid detector, which includes a base, a chip mounting assembly, a heating device, an optical detection device and a mechanical arm assembly; the chip mounting assembly is arranged on the left side of the base and includes a box body, a chip slot for accommodating a microfluidic chip is formed in the box body, and the chip slot has a notch facing upward; the heating device is arranged on the front side or the rear side of the chip mounting assembly; the optical detection device is arranged below the chip mounting assembly and has an emission light emitting part and an excitation light receiving part for facing the lower end of the microfluidic chip, and the lower end of the box body has a hollow part that can allow emission light to enter the chip slot and allow excitation light to exit the chip slot; the mechanical arm assembly includes a mechanical arm that can move in the left and right directions, and the mechanical arm has a fork-shaped piece, and the fork-shaped piece has a joint groove for the piston end of the microfluidic chip to be inserted. The nucleic acid detector of the present invention has a compact structure and a small volume.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of nucleic acid detection and relates to a nucleic acid detection instrument. Background Art

[0002] Nucleic acid amplification detection technology is a process of providing conditions for in vitro amplification of nucleic acid fragments, causing them to amplify exponentially and in large quantities, adding fluorescent dyes or fluorescent markers during the nucleic acid amplification process, using optical devices to detect the strength of the fluorescent signal, and obtaining the nucleic acid amplification results by analyzing the fluorescent signal. When performing a nucleic acid amplification reaction, the reaction system needs to be heated. In addition, a nucleic acid detector can integrate nucleic acid amplification detection. When the detection chip (usually a microfluidic chip) is placed in the nucleic acid detector, the reaction chamber (usually an amplification reaction chamber) of the detection chip can be heated, illuminated, and detected. However, most of the existing nucleic acid detectors are for horizontal microfluidic chips, which have complex structures, large volumes, and occupy more space. They are relatively bulky, expensive, and complex to operate. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above technical problems, the present invention provides a nucleic acid detection instrument with a compact structure and a small size.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme:

[0005] A nucleic acid detector comprises a base, a chip mounting assembly, a heating device, an optical detection device and a mechanical arm assembly.

[0006] The chip mounting assembly is arranged on the left side of the base, and the chip mounting assembly comprises a box body, a chip slot for accommodating a microfluidic chip is formed in the box body, and the chip slot has a notch facing upwards;

[0007] The heating device is arranged at the front side or the rear side of the chip mounting assembly to heat the microfluidic chip in the chip slot;

[0008] The optical detection device is arranged below the chip mounting assembly, and has an emission light emitting portion and an excitation light receiving portion for facing the lower end of the microfluidic chip, and the lower end of the box body has a hollow portion capable of allowing emission light to enter the chip slot and allowing excitation light to exit the chip slot;

[0009] The mechanical arm assembly is arranged on the right side of the chip mounting assembly, and the mechanical arm assembly includes a mechanical arm that can move in the left and right directions, and the mechanical arm has a fork-shaped piece, and the fork-shaped piece has a coupling groove for the piston end of the microfluidic chip to be clamped.

[0010] In some preferred embodiments, the box body has a right side wall, and the right side wall is provided with a notch extending downward from its upper edge for the right end of the piston on the microfluidic chip to be inserted and extended out of the box body, and the engagement groove of the fork-shaped piece is aligned with the notch.

[0011] More preferably, the notch includes a first notch and a second notch, the first notch is located at the front side or the rear side of the second notch, and the downward extending depth of the first notch is smaller than the downward extending depth of the second notch.

[0012] In some preferred embodiments, the lower end of the box body is hollowed out, and the middle of the inner wall of the box body has a supporting protrusion extending inward.

[0013] More preferably, the box body has relative front and rear side walls, and relative left and right walls, the front, left, rear and right walls enclose the chip slot, the bottom ends of the left and right walls are connected to the base, and the bottom of the rear wall is located at a distance above the base, so that the emission light emitting part and the excitation light receiving part can pass under the rear wall and be located under the chip slot; and / or, the rear wall is provided with a through window that enables the heating device to pass through and contact the microfluidic chip; and / or, the front wall and the rear wall are respectively provided with an operating groove for facilitating the insertion and removal of the chip, and the operating groove extends downward from the upper edge of the front wall or the rear wall.

[0014] In some preferred embodiments, the heating device includes a mounting seat, a heat-conducting block and a heater for heating the heat-conducting block, wherein the heat-conducting block is disposed on the mounting seat and has a heating surface corresponding to the reaction cavity of the detection chip.

[0015] More preferably, the heat-conducting block is movably disposed on the mounting seat, and the heating device further comprises an elastic member, and the elastic member is disposed between the heat-conducting block and the mounting seat.

[0016] Furthermore, the heat conductive block includes a main body and a connecting pin connected to the main body, the mounting seat is provided with a connecting hole matching with the connecting pin, the connecting pin can be slidably passed through the connecting hole along its length direction, the connecting pin is provided with a thread, the connecting pin passes through the connecting hole and is inserted into a nut, and the nut and the connecting pin are threadedly connected.

[0017] Furthermore, the heat conducting block has a protrusion, and the heating surface is formed on the front side of the protrusion.

[0018] Furthermore, the heat conductive block is an aluminum block.

[0019] Furthermore, the heater is a heating film that is bonded to the heat conductive block.

[0020] In some preferred embodiments, the optical detection device includes a bracket, an emission light path and an excitation light path arranged on the bracket, the emission light path includes a light source and a first light guide arranged in sequence along a first optical axis, the first light guide has a first end and a second end, the first end is adjacent to the light source, and the emission light exit portion is formed on the second end; the excitation light path includes a lens and a fluorescence sensor arranged in sequence along the second optical axis, the excitation light path also includes a second light guide having a first end and a second end, the excitation light receiving portion is formed on the first end of the second light guide, and the second end of the second light guide is adjacent to the lens; the first optical axis and the second optical axis form an angle greater than 0 and less than 180 degrees.

[0021] More preferably, the angle is less than 90 degrees.

[0022] More preferably, the light source detection device includes a plurality of the emission light paths arranged in parallel along the left-right direction, and a plurality of the excitation light paths arranged in parallel along the left-right direction.

[0023] Furthermore, the light source is an LED lamp, and the multiple light sources of the emission light paths constitute an LED light bar extending in the left-right direction.

[0024] Furthermore, the first light guide member includes a light guide column, the bracket is provided with a mounting hole, the light guide column is inserted into the mounting hole, and the upper end surface of the light guide column is located below the chip slot to form the emitted light exit portion.

[0025] Furthermore, the light guiding column is a solid glass column.

[0026] Furthermore, the second light guide is an optical fiber, the upper end surface of the optical fiber is located below the chip slot to form the excitation light receiving part, and the optical fiber is arranged in the bracket.

[0027] Specifically, the bracket includes a first bracket and a second bracket, the lower end of the first bracket is connected to the base, the emission light path and the second light guide are arranged on the upper part of the first bracket, the lens and the fluorescence sensor are arranged in the second bracket, and the second bracket is detachably connected to the first bracket and is located below the upper part of the first bracket.

[0028] Specifically, the lens is disposed in the second bracket so as to be movably along the second optical axis.

[0029] More preferably, the first optical axis is inclined to a horizontal plane, and the second optical axis intersects the horizontal plane perpendicularly.

[0030] Specifically, the second light guide member is an optical fiber.

[0031] More preferably, the excitation light path further comprises a filter located between the lens and the fluorescence sensor.

[0032] In some preferred embodiments, the nucleic acid detector also includes a cover body covering the base, and the chip mounting assembly, the heating device, the optical detection device and the robotic arm assembly are located in the cover body. The cover body is provided with a slot for inserting the microfluidic, and the slot is located directly above the chip slot.

[0033] In some preferred embodiments, the robotic arm assembly includes a mounting frame, a robotic arm slidably disposed on the mounting frame, and a driving device for driving the robotic arm to move, wherein the robotic arm has a fork-shaped piece, and the fork-shaped piece has an engagement groove for the piston end of the microfluidic chip to be engaged.

[0034] More preferably, the engagement groove has a notch facing upward.

[0035] More preferably, the robotic arm assembly includes a first robotic arm and a second robotic arm, the first robotic arm is higher than the second robotic arm, the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm respectively have the fork-shaped piece, and each of the fork-shaped pieces respectively has the engagement groove.

[0036] Further, in a top view, the fork-shaped member of the first robotic arm deviates from the fork-shaped member of the second robotic arm by a certain distance.

[0037] Furthermore, the fork of the first robotic arm and the fork of the second robotic arm are located on the same side of the microfluidic chip.

[0038] Furthermore, the mounting frame has a slide rail extending in a horizontal direction, and the robot arm is movably disposed on the slide rail in a horizontal direction.

[0039] Furthermore, the mechanical arm is provided with a slide groove matching the slide rail, and the slide rail is inserted into the slide groove.

[0040] Furthermore, the driving device includes a motor and a screw rod driven by the motor to move back and forth, and the robotic arm is connected to the screw rod.

[0041] The present invention adopts the above solution, which has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0042] The nucleic acid detector of the present invention can insert a vertical microfluidic chip into a chip mounting assembly. The mechanical arm assembly drives the microfluidic chip piston to move so that the samples and reagents of the microfluidic chip are mixed or the reagents are circulated to the target chamber. The reaction chamber of the microfluidic chip is heated by a heating device to perform an amplification reaction. The reaction chamber is irradiated and the excited fluorescence is received by an optical detection device, and qualitative or quantitative detection is performed according to the color and intensity of the fluorescence. The nucleic acid detection structure is compact and small in size, and it can automatically realize nucleic acid extraction, amplification and detection. It is simple to operate and easy to use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative work.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a nucleic acid detector according to an embodiment of the present invention after a microfluidic chip is inserted, wherein the cover is not shown;

[0045] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the nucleic acid detector shown in another perspective;

[0046] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the nucleic acid detector when the microfluidic chip is not inserted;

[0047] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the microfluidic chip;

[0048] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip mounting assembly at one viewing angle;

[0049] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the chip mounting assembly from another perspective;

[0050] Figure 7 Right side view of the chip mounting assembly;

[0051] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the heating device at a certain viewing angle;

[0052] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heating device from another viewing angle;

[0053] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat conducting block;

[0054] Fig.11is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical detection device;

[0055] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view of an optical detection device;

[0056] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first robotic arm;

[0057] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second robotic arm.

[0058] in,

[0059] 1. Base; 2. Chip mounting assembly; 3. Heating device; 4. Robotic arm assembly; 5. Optical detection device;

[0060] 21. Box body; 211. Front side wall; 212. Rear side wall; 213. Left side wall; 214. Right side wall; 22. Chip slot; 23. Through window; 24. Operation slot; 24. Supporting protrusion; 25. Notch;

[0061] 31. Mounting seat; 311. Positioning protrusion; 32. Heat conducting block; 321. Main body; 322. Heating surface; 323. Connecting pin; 33. Heating film; 34. Elastic member; 35. Nut;

[0062] 41. Installation; 411. Slide rail; 42a. First mechanical arm; 42b. Second mechanical arm; 421. Fork-shaped member; 422. Engagement groove; 423. Slide groove; 43. Screw rod; 44. Motor;

[0063] 51, bracket; 51a, first bracket; 51b, second bracket; 51c, end cap; 52, light source; 53, first light guide; 531, emission light emitting portion; 54, second light guide; 541, excitation light receiving portion; 55, lens; 56, filter; 57, fluorescence sensor;

[0064] 100, microfluidic chip; 101, piston; 101a, neck. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the description of these embodiments is used to help understand the present invention, but does not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0066] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a nucleic acid detection instrument capable of automatically performing nucleic acid extraction, amplification and detection. Figures 1 to 3 The nucleic acid detector is shown. Figure 4A microfluidic chip 100 suitable for the nucleic acid detector is shown. The microfluidic chip 100 is a vertical microfluidic chip, that is, its height is at least greater than its width, and the whole is a vertically placed plate. The injection port is located at the upper part of the microfluidic chip 100, and the liquid generally circulates in the microfluidic chip 100 from top to bottom. The microfluidic chip 100 also includes two pistons 101 that can move horizontally in the left and right directions. The right end of the piston 101 is located outside the microfluidic chip 100 and has a neck 101a with a smaller outer diameter, which is connected to the mechanical arm assembly 4 through the neck 101a. The movement of the piston 101 can promote the mixing of reagents in the microfluidic chip or the circulation of liquids between chambers. The lower part of the microfluidic chip 100 is provided with a plurality of reaction chambers in parallel. Specifically, in this embodiment, the number of reaction chambers is four and they are arranged in parallel in the front-to-back direction, thereby providing four detection channels.

[0067] Reference Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the nucleic acid detector includes a base 1, a chip mounting assembly 2, a heating device 3, a mechanical arm assembly 4 and an optical detection device 5. Among them, the chip mounting assembly 2 is arranged on the left side of the base 1, the heating device 3 is arranged on the rear side of the chip mounting assembly 2, the optical detection device 5 is arranged below the chip mounting assembly 2, and the mechanical arm assembly 4 is arranged on the right side of the chip mounting assembly 2. The nucleic acid detector also includes a cover body (not shown in the figure) covering the top of the base 1, and the chip mounting assembly 2, the heating device 3, the optical detection device 5 and the mechanical arm assembly 4 are located in the cover body, and a slot for the microfluidic chip 100 to be inserted into the chip mounting assembly 2 is provided on the cover body.

[0068] The chip mounting assembly 2 is used to mount and fix the microfluidic chip 100. Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the chip mounting assembly 2 includes a box body 21, in which a chip slot 22 for accommodating the microfluidic chip 100 is formed. The chip slot 22 has a notch facing upward, and the slot on the cover is located directly above the chip slot 22 and aligned with its notch.

[0069] The box body 21 has a front side wall 211 and a rear side wall 212 opposite to each other, and a left side wall 213 and a right side wall 214 opposite to each other. The front side wall 211, the left side wall 213, the rear side wall 212 and the right side wall 214 enclose a chip slot 22. The bottom ends of the left side wall 213 and the right side wall 214 are connected to the base 1. The bottoms of the front side wall 211 and the rear side wall 212 are located at a distance above the base 1, so that the optical detection device 5 can pass under the rear side wall 212 and be located under the chip slot 22. The right side wall 214 is provided with a notch 25 extending downward from its upper edge, so that the right end of the piston 101 on the microfluidic chip 100 can be inserted and extended to the outside of the box body 21. Specifically, the notch 25 includes a first notch and a second notch, the first notch is located in front of the second notch, and the depth of the first notch extending downward is less than the depth of the second notch extending downward. During the insertion of the microfluidic chip 100, the right end of the piston 101 at the upper part of the chip is inserted into the first notch, and the right end of the piston 101 at the lower part of the chip is inserted into the second notch. A through window 23 is provided on the rear side wall 212 to allow the heating device 3 to pass through and contact the reaction chamber of the microfluidic chip 100. The front side wall 211 and the rear side wall 212 are respectively provided with an operation groove 24 for facilitating the insertion and removal of the chip, and the operation groove 24 extends downward from the upper edge of the front side wall 211 or the rear side wall 212.

[0070] The lower end of the box body 21 is hollowed out, and the middle of the inner wall of the box body 21 has a support protrusion 24 extending inward, and the support protrusion 24 is specifically flush with the lower edges of the front side wall 211 and the rear side wall 212. When the microfluidic chip 100 is inserted, its lower surface is located on the support protrusion 24, and the microfluidic chip 100 is supported and positioned by the support protrusion 24.

[0071] The heating device 2 is used to heat the reaction chamber of the microfluidic chip 100. Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the heating device 3 includes a mounting seat 31, a heat-conducting block 32 and a heater. The bottom of the mounting seat 31 is connected to the base 1, such as being fixed to the base 1 by screws. The heat-conducting block 32 is arranged on the mounting seat 31, and the heat-conducting block 32 has a heating surface 322 for being arranged corresponding to the reaction chamber of the microfluidic chip 100. Specifically, the heating surface 322 can be in contact with or close to the reaction area of ​​the detection chip 100 so as to transfer heat to the reaction area of ​​the detection chip 100. In the present embodiment, the heating surface 322 is in contact with the reaction area of ​​the detection chip 100. The heater is used to heat the heat-conducting block 32, and is arranged on the heat-conducting block 32.

[0072] The heat conducting block 32 can be movably arranged on the mounting seat 31. The heating device 3 also includes an elastic member 34, which is arranged between the heat conducting block 32 and the mounting seat 31, and its two ends are respectively in conflict with the heat conducting block 32 and the mounting seat 31. That is, the spacing between the heat conducting block 32 and the mounting seat 31 can be appropriately adjusted, and even in the case of a large assembly error, it can ensure that the heating surface 322 always fits the reaction chamber of the microfluidic chip 100. Among them, the heat conducting block 32 includes a body 321 and a connecting pin 323 connected to the body 321, and the mounting seat 31 is provided with a connecting hole that matches the connecting pin 323, and the connecting pin 323 can be slidably penetrated in the connecting hole along its length direction; the elastic member 34 is a compression spring sleeved on the connecting pin 323. The connecting pin 323 is provided with a thread (not shown in the figure), and the connecting pin 323 is inserted into a nut 35 after passing through the connecting hole, and the nut 35 and the connecting pin 323 are threadedly connected. Specifically, the connecting pin 323 extends backward from the rear side of the main body 321 and passes through the connecting hole on the mounting seat 31, and is locked with a nut 35; by rotating the nut 35, the elastic deformation of the elastic member 34 can be adjusted, thereby achieving the spacing adjustment between the heat conductive block 32 and the mounting seat 31. The left side of the main body 321 has a protrusion extending forward, and the heating surface 322 is the left side of the protrusion, which is strip-shaped as a whole and extends in the left and right directions. The heating surface 322 is further a vertical plane extending vertically. The heat conductive block 32 is an aluminum block, which is integrally formed of aluminum or aluminum alloy. The protrusion is inserted into the through window 23 on the rear side of the box body 21 on the chip mounting assembly 22, and can then fit with the reaction chamber of the microfluidic chip 100 therein to heat it.

[0073] The heater is specifically a heating film 33, which is attached to the lower side of the body 321 of the heat conductive block 32. The heating film 33 is provided with a power connection terminal for connecting a power source. After power is turned on, the heating film 33 generates heat and transfers the heat to the heat conductive block 32, and the heat conductive block 32 uniformly heats the reaction chamber of the microfluidic chip 100. Furthermore, the heating film 33 is attached to the body 321 of the heat conductive block 32.

[0074] A positioning protrusion 311 is formed on the upper portion of the mounting seat 31, and the heat conducting block 32 abuts against the positioning protrusion 311. Specifically, the positioning protrusion 311 extends to the left, and the right side of the heat conducting block 32 abuts against the lower side of the positioning protrusion 311. By providing the positioning protrusion 311 for positioning, assembly can be facilitated.

[0075] The mechanical arm assembly 4 is used to drive the piston to move in the left and right directions. Figures 1 to 4 , Fig.13 and Fig.14As shown, the robot arm assembly 4 includes a mounting frame 41, a robot arm slidably disposed on the mounting frame 41, and a driving device for driving the robot arm to move. The mounting frame 41 is fixedly disposed on the base 1, for example, by screw fastening. The robot arm has a fork-shaped member 421, and the fork-shaped member 421 has a coupling groove 422 for the end of the piston 101 of the microfluidic chip 100 (specifically, the neck 101a of the piston 101) to be inserted, and the coupling groove 422 has a notch facing upward. Specifically in this embodiment, combined with Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, the robot arm assembly 4 includes a plurality of robot arms, including at least a first robot arm 42a and a second robot arm 42b, the first robot arm 42a is higher than the second robot arm 42b, the first robot arm 42a and the second robot arm 42b respectively have a fork 421, and each fork 421 has a coupling groove 422 respectively. The fork 421 of the first robot arm 42a and the fork 421 of the second robot arm 42b are located on the same side of the microfluidic chip 100, specifically the right side. When viewed from above, the fork 421 of the first robot arm 42a deviates from the fork 421 of the second robot arm 42b by a distance, that is, the first robot arm 42a and the second robot arm 42b are spaced apart from each other front to back so as to be able to engage with two pistons 101 at the same time. Specifically, the second robot arm 42b is located at the lower rear of the first robot arm 42a, that is, the second robot arm 42b is located at a distance from one end of the rear side of the first robot arm 42a, so as to be able to engage with the two pistons 101 at the same time. Figure 4 The positions of the two pistons 101 in the embodiment match each other.

[0076] The mounting frame 41 has a slide rail 411 extending in the horizontal direction, and the robot arm is arranged on the slide rail 411 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction. There are two slide rails 411 arranged up and down. Fig.13 As shown, the upper slide rail 411 corresponds to the first mechanical arm 42a, and the first mechanical arm 42a is provided with a slide groove 423 that matches the slide rail 411, and the slide rail 411 is inserted into the slide groove 423 of the first mechanical arm 42a. Fig.14 As shown, the lower slide rail 411 corresponds to the second mechanical arm 42b, and the second mechanical arm 42b is provided with a slide groove 423 that matches the slide rail 411, and the slide rail 411 is inserted into the slide groove 423 of the second mechanical arm 42b.

[0077] There are two driving devices, corresponding to the first mechanical arm 42a and the second mechanical arm 42b respectively. Each driving device includes a motor 44, a screw rod 43 driven by the motor 44 to reciprocate in the left and right directions, and the mechanical arm is connected to the end of the screw rod 43. The motor 44 is fixedly arranged on the mounting frame 41. When the motor 44 is running, the screw rod 43 moves to the left or right in the left and right directions, and the mechanical arm moves to the left or right along the slide rail 411, thereby driving the piston 101 of the microfluidic chip 100 to move left and right, and then providing positive pressure or negative pressure to the liquid in the microfluidic chip 100, thereby providing power for the circulation of the liquid.

[0078] The robotic arm assembly 4 has an initial position. In the initial position, the microfluidic chip 100 is inserted downward into the chip mounting assembly 2. During the insertion process, the neck 101a of the piston 101 on the front upper side is inserted into the engagement groove 422 of the fork-shaped piece 421 of the first robotic arm 42a, and the neck 101a of the piston 101 on the rear lower side is inserted into the engagement groove 422 of the fork-shaped piece 421 of the second robotic arm 42b, and is connected to the two pistons 101 at the same time; after engagement, as the motor 44 runs, the robotic arm moves left or right accordingly, thereby pushing or pulling out the piston 101, thereby driving the liquid flow in the microfluidic chip 100, providing power for the liquid flow in the microfluidic chip 100 or promoting reagent mixing, and has a simple structure and a compact size.

[0079] The optical detection device 5 is used to irradiate the reaction chamber at the bottom of the microfluidic chip 100 and receive the fluorescence stimulated by the amplification product in the reaction chamber, and then perform detection according to the fluorescence color, intensity, etc. Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, the optical detection device 5 has an emission light emitting portion 531 and an excitation light receiving portion 541 for facing the lower end of the microfluidic chip 100. The lower end of the box body 21 has a hollow portion that allows the emission light to enter the chip slot 22 and allows the excitation light to emit out of the chip slot 22. Specifically, the lower end of the box body 21 is open to allow the emission light to enter the box body 21 and the excited fluorescence to emit out of the box body 21.

[0080] The optical detection device 5 includes a bracket 51, an emission light path and an excitation light path arranged on the bracket 51. The emission light path includes a light source 52 and a first light guide 53 arranged in sequence along the first optical axis, the first light guide 53 has a first end and a second end, the first end is adjacent to the light source 52, and the emission light emitting portion 531 is formed on the second end of the first light guide 53. The excitation light path includes a lens 55 and a fluorescence sensor 57 arranged in sequence along the second optical axis, the excitation light path also includes a second light guide 54 having a first end and a second end, the excitation light receiving portion 541 is formed on the first end of the second light guide 54, and the second end of the second light guide 54 is adjacent to the lens 55. An angle greater than 0 and less than 180 degrees is formed between the first optical axis and the second optical axis. Specifically in this embodiment, the angle is less than 90 degrees, and the first optical axis and the horizontal plane intersect obliquely, and the second optical axis and the horizontal plane intersect vertically. The emission light emitting portion 531 is formed on the upper end surface of the first light guide member 53 , and the excitation light receiving portion 541 is formed on the upper end surface of the second light guide member 54 .

[0081] Each detection channel corresponds to an emission light path and an excitation light path. Therefore, the above-mentioned light source 52 detection device includes a plurality of emission light paths arranged in parallel along the left-right direction, and a plurality of excitation light paths arranged in parallel along the left-right direction. The light source 52 is an LED lamp, and the light sources 52 of the plurality of emission light paths constitute an LED light bar extending in the left-right direction.

[0082] The first light guide 53 includes a light guide column. A mounting hole is provided on the bracket 51. The light guide column is inserted into the mounting hole. The upper end surface of the light guide column is located below the chip slot 22 to form an emission light exit portion 531. The light guide column is a solid organic glass column. The light guide column is an inclined cylindrical column as a whole, and its center line coincides with the first optical axis. A part of the upper end of the light guide column is cut to form a planar emission light exit portion 531, and faces the chip slot 22 located on the upper side and rear side thereof.

[0083] The second light guide 54 is an optical fiber, the upper end surface of which is located directly below the chip slot 22 to form an excitation light receiving portion 541 . The optical fiber is disposed in the bracket 51 to guide the fluorescence to the top of the lens 55 .

[0084] The bracket 51 includes a first bracket 51a and a second bracket 51b. The lower end of the first bracket 51a is connected to the base 1. The emission light path and the second light guide 54 are arranged on the upper part of the first bracket 51a. The lens 55 and the fluorescent sensor 57 are arranged in the second bracket 51b. The second bracket 51b is detachably connected to the first bracket 51a and is located below the upper part of the first bracket 51a for easy maintenance. The lens 55 can be movably arranged in the second bracket 51b along the second optical axis for focusing. Specifically, the lens 55 is threadedly connected to the second bracket 51b. When focusing, the second bracket 51b is removed, the lens 55 therein is rotated, and then the height of the lens 55 is adjusted to achieve focusing.

[0085] The excitation light path further includes a filter 56 located between the lens 55 and the fluorescence sensor 57 to filter out stray light outside a specific wavelength range.

[0086] The optical detection device further includes an end cover 51c, which is disposed below the fluorescent sensor 57 and is sealed to the second bracket 51b to prevent dust and water.

[0087] The working process of the nucleic acid detector is as follows:

[0088] Insert the microfluidic chip into the chip mounting assembly, and the motor drives the mechanical arm to move, which drives the piston to move, so that the samples and reagents in the microfluidic chip are mixed or the reagents are circulated to the target chamber until they enter the reaction chamber for amplification reaction; power on the heating device to heat the reaction chamber; after the reaction is completed, stop heating, power on the optical detection device, irradiate the reaction chamber and receive the excited fluorescence, and perform qualitative and quantitative detection according to the color and intensity of the fluorescence.

[0089] The nucleic acid detection system has a compact structure and a small size. It can automatically extract, amplify and detect nucleic acids and is simple to operate and easy to use.

[0090] As shown in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "include" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements that have been clearly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or device may also include other steps or elements. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any combination of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0091] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, when a feature is referred to as being "fixed" or "connected" to another feature, it may be directly fixed or connected to the other feature, or it may be indirectly fixed or connected to the other feature. In addition, the descriptions of up, down, left, right, etc. used in the present invention are only relative to the relative positional relationship of the components of the present invention in the drawings.

[0092] It is further understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other, and do not indicate a specific order or degree of importance. In fact, the expressions "first", "second", etc. can be used interchangeably. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first information can also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information can also be referred to as the first information.

[0093] The above embodiment is only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and is a preferred embodiment. Its purpose is to enable people familiar with the technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and it cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent transformation or modification made according to the principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A nucleic acid detector, comprising a base, a chip mounting assembly, a heating device, an optical detection device and a mechanical arm assembly, characterized in that: The chip mounting assembly is arranged on the left side of the base, and the chip mounting assembly comprises a box body, a chip slot for accommodating a microfluidic chip is formed in the box body, and the chip slot has a notch facing upwards; The heating device is arranged at the front side or the rear side of the chip mounting assembly to heat the microfluidic chip in the chip slot; The optical detection device is arranged below the chip mounting assembly, and has an emission light emitting portion and an excitation light receiving portion for facing the lower end of the microfluidic chip, and the lower end of the box body has a hollow portion capable of allowing emission light to enter the chip slot and allowing excitation light to exit the chip slot; The mechanical arm assembly is arranged on the right side of the chip mounting assembly, and the mechanical arm assembly includes a mechanical arm that can move in the left and right directions, and the mechanical arm has a fork-shaped piece, and the fork-shaped piece has a joint groove for the piston end of the microfluidic chip to be clamped; The box body has opposite front and rear side walls, and opposite left and right walls, the right side wall is provided with a notch extending downward from its upper edge, so that the right end of the piston on the microfluidic chip can be inserted and extended out of the box body, and the engagement groove of the fork-shaped member is aligned with the notch; The lower end of the box body is hollowed out, and the middle of the inner wall of the box body has a supporting protrusion extending inward; the front side wall, the left side wall, the rear side wall and the right side wall enclose the chip slot, the bottom ends of the left side wall and the right side wall are connected to the base, and the bottom of the rear side wall is located at a distance above the base, so that the emission light emitting part and the excitation light receiving part can pass under the rear side wall and be located under the chip slot; the rear side wall is provided with a through window that enables the heating device to pass through and contact the microfluidic chip; the front side wall and the rear side wall are respectively provided with an operating groove for facilitating the insertion and removal of the chip, and the operating groove extends downward from the upper edge of the front side wall or the rear side wall.

2. The nucleic acid detector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The notch includes a first notch and a second notch, the first notch is located at the front side or the rear side of the second notch, and the downward extending depth of the first notch is smaller than the downward extending depth of the second notch.

3. The nucleic acid detector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating device includes a mounting seat, a heat-conducting block and a heater for heating the heat-conducting block. The heat-conducting block is arranged on the mounting seat. The heat-conducting block has a heating surface arranged corresponding to the reaction cavity of the detection chip. The heat-conducting block can be movably arranged on the mounting seat. The heating device also includes an elastic member, which is arranged between the heat-conducting block and the mounting seat.

4. The nucleic acid detector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heat-conducting block includes a main body and a connecting pin connected to the main body, the mounting seat is provided with a connecting hole matching with the connecting pin, the connecting pin can be slidably inserted into the connecting hole along its length direction, the connecting pin is provided with a thread, the connecting pin is inserted into a nut after passing through the connecting hole, the nut and the connecting pin are threadedly connected; and / or, the heat-conducting block has a protrusion, and the heating surface is formed on the front side surface of the protrusion; and / or, the heat-conducting block is an aluminum block; and / or, the heater is a heating film fitted on the heat-conducting block.

5. The nucleic acid detector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical detection device includes a bracket, an emission light path and an excitation light path arranged on the bracket, the emission light path includes a light source and a first light guide arranged in sequence along a first optical axis, the first light guide has a first end and a second end, the first end is adjacent to the light source, and the emission light exit portion is formed on the second end; the excitation light path includes a lens and a fluorescence sensor arranged in sequence along the second optical axis, the excitation light path also includes a second light guide having a first end and a second end, the excitation light receiving portion is formed on the first end of the second light guide, and the second end of the second light guide is adjacent to the lens; the first optical axis and the second optical axis form an angle greater than 0 and less than 180 degrees.

6. The nucleic acid detector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The optical detection device includes a plurality of emission light paths arranged in parallel along the left-right direction, and a plurality of excitation light paths arranged in parallel along the left-right direction.

7. The nucleic acid detector according to claim 6, characterized in that: The light source is an LED lamp, and the multiple light sources of the emission light path constitute an LED light strip extending in the left-right direction; and / or, the first light guide component includes a light guide column, and the bracket is provided with a mounting hole, the light guide column is inserted into the mounting hole, and the upper end surface of the light guide column is located below the chip slot to form the emission light emitting portion; and / or, the second light guide component is an optical fiber, the upper end surface of the optical fiber is located below the chip slot to form the excitation light receiving portion, and the optical fiber is arranged in the bracket.

8. The nucleic acid detector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bracket includes a first bracket and a second bracket, the lower end of the first bracket is connected to the base, the emission light path and the second light guide are arranged on the upper part of the first bracket, the lens and the fluorescence sensor are arranged in the second bracket, the second bracket is detachably connected to the first bracket and is located below the upper part of the first bracket, and the lens is movably arranged in the second bracket along the second optical axis.

9. The nucleic acid detector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical arm assembly includes a mounting frame, a mechanical arm slidably disposed on the mounting frame, and a driving device for driving the mechanical arm to move. The engagement groove has a notch facing upward; and / or, The mechanical arm assembly comprises a first mechanical arm and a second mechanical arm, the first mechanical arm is higher than the second mechanical arm, the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm respectively have the fork-shaped member, each of the fork-shaped members respectively has the engagement groove, and when viewed from above, the fork-shaped member of the first mechanical arm deviates from the fork-shaped member of the second mechanical arm by a distance; and / or, The mounting frame has a slide rail extending in a horizontal direction, the mechanical arm is movably arranged on the slide rail in a horizontal direction, the mechanical arm is provided with a slide groove matching the slide rail, and the slide rail is inserted into the slide groove; and / or, The driving device comprises a motor and a screw rod which is driven by the motor to move back and forth, and the mechanical arm is connected to the screw rod.

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