Displacement control method for test tube rack, sample analysis device and storage medium

Abstract

The present application discloses a displacement control method for a test tube rack, a sample analysis device, and a storage medium. The method is used to drive a conveyor belt to rotate by controlling a motor to drive the test tube rack on the conveyor belt to move. The method includes: obtaining a test tube displacement instruction; wherein the test tube displacement instruction indicates moving a first test tube on the test tube rack to a target position; determining a second test tube currently in an identification position; determining the distance between the first test tube and the target position based on the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube, and the distance between the target position and the identification position; and driving the test tube rack based on the distance between the first test tube and the target position to move the first test tube to the target position. In this way, the accuracy of test tube displacement can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a displacement control method of a test tube rack, a sample analysis device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] An autosampler is an intelligent, automated sampling instrument. Simply set the sampling parameters, place the sample to be tested in a test tube, and a conveyor belt automatically transports the sample to the testing instrument, completing the automatic sampling process. Autosamplers can significantly reduce manual operation and improve testing efficiency, and are widely used in the field of medical testing.

[0003] Existing automatic sampling equipment needs to support a re-inspection function to enable the test tube rack to be transported back and forth repeatedly on the conveyor belt. During the transportation process, it is usually necessary to calculate the moving step of the motor to drive the conveyor belt to rotate. However, the step accuracy obtained by the conventional calculation method is relatively low and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the test tube displacement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a test tube rack displacement control method, a sample analysis device and a computer-readable storage medium, which can improve the accuracy of test tube displacement.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted in the present application is: to provide a displacement control method for a test tube rack, the method is used to drive the conveyor belt to rotate by controlling the motor to drive the test tube rack on the conveyor belt to move, the method comprising: obtaining a test tube displacement instruction; wherein the test tube displacement instruction indicates moving the first test tube on the test tube rack to a target position; determining the second test tube currently in the identification position; determining the distance between the first test tube and the target position based on the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube, and the distance between the target position and the identification position; and driving the test tube rack based on the distance between the first test tube and the target position to move the first test tube to the target position.

[0006] Among them, determining the distance between the first test tube and the target position according to the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube, and the distance between the target position and the identification position includes: determining a first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube; and determining a second distance between the target position and the identification position; determining the distance between the first test tube and the target position according to the first distance and the second distance.

[0007] Determining the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube includes: determining the distance between two adjacent test tubes; obtaining a first number for the first test tube and a second number for the second test tube; and determining the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube based on the distance between the two adjacent test tubes and a difference between the first number and the second number; wherein the test tubes on the test tube rack are numbered sequentially according to the order in which the test tubes are arranged.

[0008] The test tubes on the test tube rack are numbered in descending order according to the order in which the test tubes are arranged and in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt; a first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is determined based on the distance between two adjacent test tubes and the difference between the first number and the second number, including: when the first number is greater than the second number, determining the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube as a positive value; or when the first number is less than the second number, determining the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube as a negative value.

[0009] Among them, determining the second distance between the target position and the identification position includes: determining the distance between the target position and the origin; and determining the distance between the identification position and the origin; determining the second distance between the target position and the identification position based on the distance between the target position and the origin and the distance between the identification position and the origin.

[0010] Determining the distance between the first test tube and the target location based on the first distance and the second distance includes: calculating the sum of the first distance and the second distance as the distance between the first test tube and the target location.

[0011] Among them, the identification position is the loading position, the target position is the scanning position, the loading position is the position of the first test tube on the test tube rack closest to the scanning position when the test tube rack is loaded onto the conveyor belt, and the scanning position is provided with a scanning mechanism for scanning the barcode on the test tube; or the identification position is the loading position, the target position is the sampling position, and the sampling position is provided with a sampling mechanism for sampling the liquid in the test tube; or the identification position is the scanning position, and the target position is the sampling position.

[0012] The method further includes: obtaining the actual moving distance of the first test tube when the first test tube moves; determining the error value between the actual moving distance and the calculated distance; accumulating the error value, and compensating for the next displacement control when the accumulated error value meets a preset threshold.

[0013] To solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a sample analysis device, which includes: a conveyor belt for carrying and transporting a test tube rack; a motor connected to the conveyor belt, for driving the conveyor belt to rotate, thereby driving the test tube rack on the conveyor belt to move; and a controller connected to the motor, for controlling the motor using the above method.

[0014] In order to solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted in this application is: providing a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it is used to implement the above method.

[0015] The beneficial effect of the embodiments of the present application is that, unlike the prior art, the displacement control method for a test tube rack provided by the present application can determine the distance from the first test tube to the target position corresponding to the test tube displacement instruction by accurately obtaining the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube, as well as the distance between the target position and the identification position, and then drive the first test tube to move to the target position based on this distance. In this way, accurate displacement control can be provided for the directional movement of the test tubes, thereby improving the accuracy of the test tube displacement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive efforts. Among them:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a sample injection mechanism provided by the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a conveyor belt provided by this application.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of a sample analysis method provided by the present application;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the sample analysis method provided by the present application;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of a displacement control method for a test tube rack provided by the present application;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the displacement control method for a test tube rack provided by the present application;

[0023] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Specific flow diagram of step 603;

[0024] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 Specific flow diagram of step 604;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the displacement control method of the test tube rack provided by the present application;

[0026] Figure 10 1 is a flow chart of another embodiment of the displacement control method of the test tube rack provided by the present application;

[0027] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 Specific flow diagram of step 1007;

[0028] Figure 12 This is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a sample analysis device provided by the present application;

[0029] Figure 13 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a computer-readable storage medium provided by this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It will be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application, rather than to limit the present application. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only some, rather than all, structures related to the present application are shown in the drawings. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0032] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the sampling mechanism provided in the present application, which includes a conveyor belt 10 and a motor 20. In this embodiment, the conveyor belt 10 is a single conveyor belt, which is used to receive the test tube rack 30 at the loading position 101. The motor 20 rotates to drive the conveyor belt 10 to rotate, thereby driving the test tube rack 30 from the loading position 101 to pass through the code scanning position 102, the sampling position 103, and the unloading position 104 in sequence. The code scanning position 102 is used to set the code scanning mechanism to scan and identify the test tube, the sampling position 103 is used to sample the test tube on the test tube rack 30, and the unloading position 104 is used to unload the test tube rack 30.

[0033] Further reading Figure 2 , Figure 2FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a conveyor belt provided by the present application. The conveyor belt 10 includes a belt body 11 and a positioning structure 12. The belt body 11 is used to carry and transport a test tube rack 30 or test tubes. The positioning structure 12 is provided on the surface of the belt body 11 and is used to position the test tube rack 30 or test tubes carried on the belt body 11. This prevents relative sliding between the belt body 11 and the test tube rack 30 or test tubes during the back-and-forth movement of the belt body 11, thereby accurately positioning the test tube rack 30 or test tubes.

[0034] Wherein, the belt body 11 is in annular shape, can be a flat belt, has a smooth inner surface.Optionally, the belt body 11 can also be a synchronous belt, has a toothed inner surface, and its transmission accuracy and transmission efficiency are higher.

[0035] Among them, the positioning structure 12 can be a stopper protruding from the outer surface of the belt body 11, and the stopper is used to cooperate with the end stop of the test tube rack 30, or to cooperate with the bottom sliding positioning of the test tube rack 30, thereby positioning the test tube rack 30 or the test tube carried on the belt body 11. Of course, optionally, the positioning structure 12 can also be a recessed area recessed in the outer surface of the belt body 11, and the recessed area is used to accommodate the bottom of the test tube rack 30 or the bottom of the test tube.

[0036] Optionally, the stopper can be connected to the belt body 11 through various connection methods. Preferably, the belt body 11 and the stopper are an integral structure, made of the same material and integrally formed by a stamping process. Alternatively, the belt body 11 includes a first layer structure and a second layer structure, wherein the first layer structure is used to support the test tube rack 30 or the test tube, and the stopper is integrally formed with the first layer structure.

[0037] In this embodiment, the number of the stoppers is not limited and may be multiple, and the multiple stoppers may be distributed at non-equidistant intervals. In some other embodiments, the multiple stoppers may be distributed at equidistant intervals.

[0038] Optionally, the sample feeding mechanism further includes a buffer zone (not shown). The buffer zone can be located at either end of the conveyor belt 11, near the loading position 101 or the unloading position 104, or at both ends of the conveyor belt 11, near the loading position 101 and the unloading position 104. When there are multiple test tube racks 30 on the conveyor belt 11, the buffer zone can support the retraction or advancement of the multiple test tube racks 30 as a whole, thereby enabling the simultaneous reciprocating movement of the multiple test tube racks 30 along the conveyor belt 10.

[0039] Optionally, the above-mentioned sampling mechanism may also include a backup power supply, such as a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). When multiple test tube racks 30 move on the conveyor belt 10 to perform various tests, if a power outage occurs, the UPS can be used to provide uninterrupted power to the entire device to maintain normal operation of the device, protect the hardware from damage, and achieve power outage recovery.

[0040] In addition, the backup power supply may be equipped with a storage device. When the device is powered by the backup power supply, data generated by the device operation can be temporarily stored in the backup power supply. After the device is restored to power, the data temporarily stored in the backup power supply can be restored to the device's memory.

[0041] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of a sample analysis method provided by the present application. The method of this embodiment specifically includes:

[0042] S301: Load at least one test tube rack onto a conveyor belt.

[0043] Among them, the conveyor belt in this embodiment is a single belt, and a positioning mechanism is provided on the conveyor belt. The positioning mechanism is set on the surface of the belt body of the conveyor belt and is used to fix the test tube rack carried on the conveyor belt. It can prevent relative sliding between the belt body and the test tube rack, and play a role in accurately positioning the test tube rack.

[0044] Optionally, the positioning mechanism can be a stopper protruding from the outer surface of the belt body. The number of stops is typically even, with two stops forming a pair. The distance between the two stops is the same as the length of the test tube rack. The stops are used to cooperate with the two end stops of the test tube rack to position the test tube rack supported on the belt body. When the test tube rack is aligned with the loading position corresponding to the sample injection mechanism, the test tube rack can be loaded to complete the loading.

[0045] S302: According to the test tube displacement instruction, the test tubes on the test tube rack are controlled to move to the target position, so as to complete the corresponding operation on the test tubes on the test tube rack.

[0046] The target position can include a code scanning position and a sampling position. When the target position is a code scanning position, the test tubes on the test tube rack can be scanned to determine the presence or type of test tubes, as well as to scan the test tube rack or test tubes. When the target position is a sampling position, the test tubes on the test tube rack can be sampled to facilitate other devices to analyze the samples in the test tubes. In addition, the target position can also be set according to actual analysis needs. The corresponding operation implementation method should be conventional means in the field and will not be detailed here.

[0047] S303: Unloading the test tube rack that has completed the operation from the conveyor belt.

[0048] When the test tube rack completes operations such as scanning or sampling, the unloading conditions have been met. The test tube rack can be further moved to the unloading position and pushed out of the feed track to complete the entire sample analysis and detection of the test tube rack.

[0049] Different from the prior art, the sample analysis method provided in this embodiment provides a positioning mechanism on the conveyor belt to fix the position of the test tube rack on the conveyor belt using the positioning mechanism, thereby preventing the test tube rack from sliding relative to the conveyor belt due to inertia. The conveyor belt with the positioning mechanism drives the test tube rack to complete corresponding sample testing and other operations, thereby ensuring the stable progress of the sample analysis work.

[0050] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 : is a flow chart of another embodiment of the sample analysis method provided by the present application. The method of this embodiment specifically includes:

[0051] S401: Reset the conveyor belt so that the positioning mechanism on the conveyor belt is aligned with the test tube rack loading area.

[0052] It is understandable that the conveyor belt can run continuously or stop at the end state corresponding to the previous moment. However, the test tube racks in the loading area usually require a certain amount of preparation time before loading. When the test tube racks in the loading area are ready, the positioning mechanism on the conveyor belt may not be aligned with the loading area corresponding to the test tube racks. In this case, even if the test tube racks are ready, the test tube racks cannot be loaded.

[0053] Therefore, before loading a test tube rack, a test tube rack presence identification optical coupler can be used to detect the corresponding test tube rack loading area. Specifically, this can include detecting whether a test tube rack is present in the test tube rack loading area; if so, resetting the conveyor belt to align the positioning mechanism on the conveyor belt with the test tube rack loading area. This approach can ensure the accurate fixation of the test tube rack while also improving loading efficiency or detection and analysis efficiency.

[0054] Among them, the motors in the loading area include a loading motor and a loading return motor. Resetting the conveyor belt means controlling the loading motor to rotate forward or controlling the loading return motor to rotate reverse. When the test tube rack is ready, the motor is used to reset, compensate or retract the feed track on the conveyor belt so that the positioning mechanism on the conveyor belt is aligned with the test tube rack loading area.

[0055] Optionally, if the test tube rack presence identification optical coupler does not detect the presence of a test tube rack in the test tube rack loading area, the detection action is continuously performed until the detection result indicates that the test tube rack exists, and then resetting before loading can be performed.

[0056] S402: Load a test tube rack in the test tube rack loading area onto the conveyor belt.

[0057] When loading a test tube rack, it is necessary to ensure that the loading return motor is in a non-interfering state with the loading advance to avoid the loading return affecting the test tube rack loading. Optionally, a loading position identification optocoupler can be used to detect the loading action of the test tube rack to monitor whether the loading is complete. When the loading position identification optocoupler is triggered, it indicates that the loading is successful. At this time, the remaining test tube racks in the test tube rack loading area can be moved away from the conveyor belt. Specifically, the loading return motor can be used to peel other test tube racks outside the feed track off the feed track to prevent the remaining test tube racks from interfering with the feed movement.

[0058] S403: According to the test tube displacement instruction, the test tubes on the test tube rack are controlled to move to the target position, so as to complete the corresponding operation on the test tubes on the test tube rack.

[0059] In one application scenario, according to the test tube displacement instruction, the test tubes on the test tube rack can be controlled to move to the scanning position to perform the code scanning operation on the test tubes on the test tube rack. The code scanning position can identify the presence or type of the test tube, as well as the barcode scanning of the test tube and the test tube rack. It can further control the test tubes on the test tube rack to move to the sampling position according to the scanning results to perform sampling operations on the liquid in the test tubes on the test tube rack.

[0060] Optionally, if the above test tube scanning fails, a default value will be automatically assigned. If the sample information of the test tube is scanned, the sample information will be uploaded to the detection instrument. If the sampling mechanism at the sampling position needs to detect the sample, the sampling mechanism will pause the scanning process and respond to the sample allocation first so that the test tube can be sampled and tested first. When the sample allocation for the sampling test is completed but there is no new sample allocation request, the sampling mechanism will continue to scan the remaining sample tubes.

[0061] In one embodiment, when the test tube rack moves to the code scanning position and is ready for scanning, the test tube rack can be preliminarily scanned first to determine, for example, the type of the entire test tube rack or the number of test tube positions on the test tube rack, and then the test tubes on the test tube rack are scanned to further determine the specific information of each test tube, such as the test tube type, capacity, sample type, test items, etc. In this way, the code scanning efficiency can be accelerated. The scanning of the test tube rack can be achieved by a scanner, that is, the barcode / QR code on the test tube rack is scanned by a scanner to obtain the test tube rack information; it can also be achieved by RFID (Radio Frequency Identification System ， The information is obtained by using a radio frequency identification (RFID) card, that is, a radio frequency transmitter is installed on each test tube rack, and a radio frequency receiver is set at the scanning position to obtain the test tube rack information by identifying the radio frequency signal.

[0062] Optionally, in this embodiment, when the maximum number of test tube racks that can be loaded and operated simultaneously on the conveyor is two, the length of the conveyor belt should be long enough, and there should be a certain buffer zone at both ends of the sampling mechanism to enable the loading of multiple rows of test tube racks. When the first row of test tube racks has been loaded and a specific test tube has been detected during sampling, if the second row of test tube racks in the loading area is ready and meets the loading conditions, the feed track on the conveyor belt can be reset first, so that another positioning mechanism located behind the positioning mechanism of the first row of test tube racks is aligned with the loading area to load the second row of test tube racks. After the loading of the second row of test tube racks is completed, the feeding movement can continue to allow the second row of test tube racks to perform operations such as scanning and sampling.

[0063] In some embodiments, before the second row of test tube racks is ready to begin loading, the first row of test tube racks must meet certain conditions when performing the corresponding operation. Specifically, the first row of test tube racks must have completed loading and sampled and detected a specific test tube, where the specific test tube is typically a test tube in the first row of test tube racks that is closer to the second row of test tube racks. In one embodiment, a test tube rack has 10 test tube positions, each capable of holding 10 test tubes. Based on a combination of factors such as the length of the track, the location of the positioning mechanism, and the length of the test tube rack, the specific test tube is determined to be test tube No. 9 in the first row of test tube racks. Once test tube No. 9 in the first row of test tube racks is grabbed and ready for sampling and testing, the second row of test tube racks, having met the loading conditions, can begin loading, allowing subsequent operations to proceed after loading is complete. It is understandable that the position or number of a specific test tube can be set according to the actual situation or actual needs of the device. For example, due to the length of the conveyor belt, only when the test tube rack in the previous row is fed to the test tube No. 9, the distance of the conveyor belt portion corresponding to the loading area can support the loading of the test tube rack in the next row, thereby pre-setting the specific test tube.

[0064] In other embodiments, before the second row of test tube racks is ready to begin loading, the first row of test tube racks may also meet other conditions when performing the corresponding operation. Continuing with the aforementioned test tube rack having 10 test tube positions that can accommodate 10 test tubes, due to the combined considerations of the track length, the location of the positioning mechanism, the length of the test tube rack, and other factors, a test tube may fail to be sampled during the sampling process and must be retested. In this case, the conveyor belt typically needs to rotate in the opposite direction to allow the test tube that needs to be retested to be moved back to the sampling position. However, due to the limitations of the aforementioned various factors (such as track length), if the second row of test tube racks retracts after loading has been completed, it may be impossible to retract or be unable to refeed after retraction. Therefore, in this embodiment, before loading the second row of test tube racks, it is necessary to wait for test tube No. 10 in the first row of test tube racks to complete retesting, that is, the retesting of all test tubes in the test tube rack is completed, including those that do not require retesting.

[0065] Optionally, the re-inspection problem of the first row of test tube racks and the situation of specific test tubes can also be comprehensively considered. For example, it is necessary to ensure that all test tubes (including specific test tubes) located before a specific test tube in the first row of test tube racks have completed re-inspection or do not need re-inspection, and then the second row of test tube racks can be loaded to ensure the stability of the entire feeding process.

[0066] When the feed track is unable to scan all test tubes on the track due to physical limitations, scanning can be paused until the conditions for resuming scanning are met (for example, the first row of test tube racks is unloaded), at which point scanning of the remaining test tubes can be restarted until the scan is complete. Furthermore, based on the actual conditions of the feed track, the specific number of test tubes allowed to be scanned in the second row of test tube racks before the first row of test tube racks is unloaded can be set. For example, due to the feed track, when the first row of test tube racks is not unloaded and the second row of test tube racks begins the scanning phase, the maximum number of test tubes allowed to be scanned in the second row of test tube racks is two. In other words, after the first two test tubes in the second row of test tube racks have been scanned, scanning can continue only after the first row of test tube racks has been unloaded.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the maximum number of test tube racks that can work simultaneously on the conveyor is two, if the second row of test tube racks is in a specific stage, such as sampling a specific test tube, but the first row of test tube racks has completed the entire detection process and needs to be unloaded, the second row of test tube racks can suspend the sampling operation and give priority to unloading the first row of test tube racks. During the unloading of the first row of test tube racks, the sampled samples can be distributed and tested until the first row of test tube racks is unloaded, and the feed track is reset to continue scanning the remaining test tubes in the second row of test tube racks.

[0068] In an embodiment where multiple rows of test tube racks are running on a conveyor belt, when a test tube completes a certain operation and the conveyor belt is ready to rotate according to the next instruction, if multiple operations need to be executed simultaneously, the operations corresponding to the instructions are selected for execution according to their priority. Specifically, this can be achieved by the following steps: obtaining at least two control instructions; and sequentially executing the at least two control instructions according to a preset priority order.

[0069] Among them, at least two control instructions include a code scanning instruction, a sampling instruction, and an unloading instruction. The preset priority order is unloading instruction, sampling instruction, and code scanning instruction, corresponding to the unloading operation priority > sampling operation priority > code scanning operation priority, that is, priority execution when a test tube rack needs to be unloaded or sampled. For example, when there is already a test tube rack that meets the unloading conditions in multiple rows of test tube racks, an unloading instruction will be obtained. At this time, the unloading operation of the corresponding test tube rack will be executed first, and the sampling or code scanning operations that may be prepared for all other test tube racks will be suspended until the unloading is completed; when there is already a test tube rack that meets the sampling conditions in multiple rows of test tube racks, a sampling instruction will be obtained, but since no high-priority unloading instruction is obtained, the sampling operation of the corresponding test tube rack will be executed first, and the code scanning operations that may be prepared for all other test tube racks will be suspended until the sampling is completed.

[0070] Optionally, to ensure accurate movement of test tubes on the test tube rack, before each feeding step of the test tube rack, the conveyor belt can be reset to return the test tube rack to the loading area, so that the corresponding positioning mechanism of the test tube rack is aligned with the loading area, and then the next feeding action can be started. For example, after the test tube No. 3 in the test tube rack is scanned, the next step is to scan the test tube No. 4. Under normal circumstances, the test tube No. 4 is fed directly to the scanning position. However, in this embodiment, after the test tube No. 3 is scanned, the conveyor belt is first reset to return the test tube rack to the loading position, which is equivalent to clearing the previous displacement of the test tube rack. At this time, test tube No. 4 is directly moved to the scanning position. This can avoid errors caused by multiple displacements and improve the movement accuracy of the test tube rack.

[0071] Alternatively, in order to achieve accurate movement of the test tubes on the test tube rack S403, the following method may be used: Figure 5 The steps shown are used to control the displacement of the test tube rack. Figure 5 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of a displacement control method for a test tube rack provided by the present application. In this embodiment, calculations are performed based on the assumption that only one row of test tube racks is on the conveyor feed track at a time. The method is used to control the motor to drive the conveyor to rotate, thereby driving the displacement of the test tube racks on the conveyor. The method specifically includes:

[0072] S501: Obtain the test tube displacement instruction.

[0073] Among them, the test tube displacement instruction indicates moving the first test tube on the test tube rack to the target position. The first test tube indicates the test tube to be moved, or the test tube to be scanned or sampled. The target position indicates the position that the test tube to be moved needs to reach in the next step as indicated in the test tube displacement instruction, including the scanning position, sampling position, etc.

[0074] S502: Determine the second test tube currently in the identification position.

[0075] Among them, the identification position represents multiple operating positions in the sampling mechanism, including the loading position, the code scanning position, the sampling position, etc., and the second test tube represents the test tube that is undergoing or preparing to undergo corresponding testing at the code scanning position or the sampling position.

[0076] S503: Determine the distance between the first test tube and the target position according to the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube, and the distance between the target position and the identification position.

[0077] In this embodiment, since there is only one row of test tube racks on the conveyor belt feed track at the same time, the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is fixed and can be calculated, and the positions of multiple different identification positions and target positions are fixed and known. Therefore, the distance between the identification position and the target position can also be calculated based on the specific designations of the identification position and the target position, and finally the distance between the first test tube and the target position can be accurately calculated.

[0078] S504: According to the distance between the first test tube and the target position, the test tube rack is driven to move the first test tube to the target position.

[0079] Among them, the unit of the calculated distance between the first test tube and the target position can correspond to the unit of the distance moved during the motor operation control. For example, the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is calculated and expressed based on the motor step (N steps) to achieve accurate control of the test tube displacement.

[0080] Unlike existing technologies, the test tube rack displacement control method provided in this embodiment accurately determines the distance between the first and second test tubes, as well as the distance between the target position and the identification position, corresponding to the test tube displacement instruction. This method then drives the first test tube to the target position based on this distance. This method provides precise displacement control for the directional movement of the test tubes, improving the accuracy of test tube displacement.

[0081] Optionally, you can also Figure 6 The steps shown are used to control the displacement of the test tube rack. Figure 6This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the test tube rack displacement control method provided by the present application. In this embodiment, calculations are performed based on the assumption that only one row of test tube racks is on the conveyor feed track at a time. The method is used to control the motor to drive the conveyor to rotate, thereby driving the test tube racks on the conveyor to move. The method specifically includes:

[0082] S601: Obtain the test tube displacement instruction.

[0083] The test tube displacement instruction indicates moving the first test tube on the test tube rack to the target position.

[0084] S602: Determine the second test tube currently at the identification position.

[0085] S603: Determine a first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube.

[0086] Optionally, the specific steps of S603 can be Figure 7 The method implementation shown specifically includes:

[0087] S6031: Determine the distance between two adjacent test tubes.

[0088] The distance between adjacent test tubes is usually set according to the specifications of the test tube rack or the length of the conveyor belt. For example, it can usually be fixed to 50 unit lengths, and no excessive restrictions are imposed here.

[0089] S6032: Obtain a first number of the first test tube, and obtain a second number of the second test tube.

[0090] The test tubes in the test tube rack are numbered sequentially according to the order in which they are arranged. Specifically, the numbering can correspond to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, with the numbering decreasing, that is, the numbering is smaller for tubes closer to the sampling position and larger for tubes farther away from the sampling position. For example, if a row of test tube racks contains 10 test tubes, the first test tube in the direction of conveyor belt movement is numbered 1, and the second to tenth test tubes in the opposite direction of conveyor belt movement are numbered 2, 3, and so on. The numbers corresponding to the first and second test tubes can then be determined according to needs and numbering conditions.

[0091] S6033: Determine a first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube according to the distance between two adjacent test tubes and the difference between the first number and the second number.

[0092] In this embodiment, since the specifications of the test tube rack are known, the distance between any two adjacent test tubes is typically fixed, for example, 50 unit lengths. The distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is further calculated based on the difference between the first number and the second number. When the first number is greater than the second number, the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is determined to be a positive value; and when the first number is less than the second number, the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is determined to be a negative value.

[0093] For example, if the first number is 2 and the second number is 7, the difference between the two is -5 distances between adjacent test tubes. Therefore, the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube can be calculated as -250 unit lengths. For example, if the first number is 7 and the second number is 2, the difference between the two is +5 distances between adjacent test tubes. Therefore, the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube can be calculated as +250 unit lengths.

[0094] S604: Determine a second distance between the target position and the identification position.

[0095] Optionally, the specific steps of S604 can be Figure 8 The method implementation shown specifically includes:

[0096] S6041: Determine the distance between the target position and the origin.

[0097] The origin is a fixed point on the conveyor belt, which is used to mark the position distance of each target position or identification position. The origin can be set according to the actual situation. The setting of the origin position will not actually affect the position of the target position and the identification position, nor will it change the distance between the two. For example, in this embodiment, the position of test tube No. 10 in the test tube rack when test tube No. 1 is in the loading position can be used as the origin; in some other embodiments, a point on the conveyor belt other than the loaded test tube can be used as the origin, such as the position of test tube No. 10 further away from the loading position by a certain distance, or even extending to the back of the conveyor belt, that is, the side of the conveyor belt that cannot support the test tube rack. The setting method of the origin is not limited in detail here, and is only used to indicate the relationship between the various working positions.

[0098] The target position is the target position point to which the first test tube needs to move according to the displacement instruction, which may include a sampling position or a code scanning position, etc. Therefore, since both the origin and the target position are pre-set positions in the sample injection mechanism, the distance between them can be accurately obtained.

[0099] S6042: Determine the distance between the marker and the origin.

[0100] The identification position is a reference position for calculating the required moving distance of the first test tube. As can be seen from the above description, the identification position and the origin are pre-set position points, so the distance between the two can also be accurately obtained.

[0101] Optionally, when the identification position is the loading position and the target position is the scanning position, when the loading position is the test tube rack loaded onto the conveyor belt, the position of the first test tube on the test tube rack closest to the scanning position, that is, the position of the first test tube in the running direction of the conveyor belt is used as the loading position. When the test tube rack moves, the position of the loading position remains unchanged, and the test tube number at the loading position changes immediately, and this is used as a reference for calculation; a scanning mechanism is provided on the scanning position for scanning the barcode on the test tube.

[0102] Optionally, when the identification position is the loading position and the target position is the sampling position, a sampling mechanism is provided on the sampling position for sampling the liquid in the test tube; in other embodiments, the identification position can also be a code scanning position and the target position is the sampling position. The specific settings can be made according to actual conditions and will not be elaborated here.

[0103] S6043: Determine a second distance between the target position and the identification position according to the distance between the target position and the origin and the distance between the identification position and the origin.

[0104] In one application scenario, for example, the target position to which the first test tube needs to move is the code scanning position, and the identification position where the second test tube is located is the loading position. It can be obtained that the distance between the code scanning position and the origin is 1000 unit lengths (steps), and the distance between the loading position and the origin is 600 unit lengths (steps). Therefore, the second distance between the target position and the identification position can be calculated to be 1000-600=400 unit lengths. Among them, when the selection of the identification position and the target position changes, the second distance between the two also changes accordingly, which is not limited here.

[0105] S605: Determine the distance between the first test tube and the target position according to the first distance and the second distance.

[0106] Specifically, S605 can be implemented by the following steps: calculating the sum of the first distance and the second distance as the distance between the first test tube and the target position.

[0107] In this embodiment, since the first distance may be a positive or negative value, according to the above example, when the first distance is +250 unit lengths, the distance between the first test tube and the target position is 400+250=750 unit lengths; when the first distance is -250 unit lengths, the distance between the first test tube and the target position is 400-250=150 unit lengths.

[0108] S606: According to the distance between the first test tube and the target position, the test tube rack is driven to move the first test tube to the target position.

[0109] According to the above example, the first test tube can be moved to the desired target position by controlling the motor to move, for example, 750 or 150 motor steps.

[0110] Therefore, the method of this embodiment accurately calculates the corresponding forward or backward step length required for this displacement based on the test tube number of the first test tube to be moved, the test tube number of the second test tube used for reference identification, the identification position of the second test tube, and the target position to be reached by the first test tube. This allows the motor to be controlled to achieve test tube position movement. This method accurately and quickly calculates the distance from any test tube to any position in the same test tube rack, thereby precisely controlling test tube displacement, reducing the computational complexity of test tube movement and improving work efficiency.

[0111] Optionally, since the motor may lose steps or overshoot during operation, when the motor controls the conveyor belt according to the distance calculated in the above steps, the accuracy of the test tube displacement will still be partially affected. Therefore, after S606, the encoder can be used to perform position correction, specifically including:

[0112] S607: When the first test tube moves, obtain the actual moving distance of the first test tube.

[0113] As you can see, encoders have higher precision than motors, allowing them to more accurately identify, monitor, and provide feedback on test tube movement. Since motor control operates in steps, when the first test tube moves under the motor's drive, the encoder simultaneously captures the actual distance traveled. Due to motor step loss or overshoot, the actual distance traveled may be greater or less than the motor's control step size.

[0114] S608: Determine the error value between the actual moving distance and the calculated distance.

[0115] The calculated distance is the theoretical distance the first test tube needs to move, calculated from the distances between the first test tube, the second test tube, the marker, and the target. This theoretical distance should equal the actual distance the motor moves, assuming the motor does not lose steps or overshoot. Therefore, in practice, due to motor error, the actual distance moved, as calculated by the encoder, must be used to calculate the error.

[0116] S609: Accumulate the error value, and when the accumulated error value meets a preset threshold, perform compensation for the next displacement control.

[0117] The preset threshold value can be set according to actual conditions. In this embodiment, it can be set to 1 unit length, that is, 1 step.

[0118] In one application scenario, when the error between the actual movement distance obtained by the encoder and the calculated distance is greater than 0 but less than 1 step due to motor step loss or overshoot, the error values ​​calculated in the 0-1 stage are accumulated. When the accumulated error value is greater than 1 step, the error value of this step is added to the control step of the motor during the next displacement control of the test tube in the test tube rack to further improve the displacement accuracy of the test tube.

[0119] It can be understood that when the accumulated error value is not an integer, only the error value of the integer number of steps will be compensated, and the error value less than 1 step will continue to be accumulated. The accumulated error value will be compensated by rounding. For example, when the accumulated error value is 2.3, then 2 units of step distance will be compensated at present, and the remaining 0.3 will continue to be accumulated. For example, when the accumulated error value is 1.8, then 2 steps will be compensated by rounding, and the accumulated error value will become -0.2.

[0120] Optionally, in other embodiments, the control of the motor can be corrected by position optocouplers. For example, after each row of test tube racks is inspected, a reset can be performed, and the position of the conveyor belt can be located by optocouplers at the initial position to achieve optocoupler correction.

[0121] In this way, based on the accurate calculation of the displacement of the test tube, an encoder or position optical coupler can be used to ensure that the accuracy of the displacement is maintained at a high level, thereby further improving the accuracy of the test tube displacement.

[0122] Optionally, you can also Figure 9 The steps shown are used to control the displacement of the test tube rack. Figure 9 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the test tube rack displacement control method provided by the present application. In this embodiment, calculations are performed based on the assumption that two rows of test tube racks can be on the conveyor feed track at the same time. The method is used to control the motor to drive the conveyor to rotate, thereby driving the test tube racks on the conveyor to move. The method specifically includes:

[0123] S901: Obtain the test tube displacement instruction.

[0124] Among them, the test tube displacement instruction indicates moving the first test tube on the test tube rack to the target position. The first test tube is located on the first test tube rack, indicating the test tube to be moved, or indicating the test tube to be scanned or sampled. The target position indicates the position that the test tube to be moved needs to reach in the next step as indicated in the test tube displacement instruction, including the scanning position, sampling position, etc.

[0125] S902: Determine the second test tube currently at the identification position.

[0126] Among them, the identification position indicates multiple operating positions in the sampling mechanism, including the loading position, the code scanning position, the sampling position, etc. The second test tube is located on the second test tube rack, indicating that the test tube is undergoing or preparing to undergo corresponding testing at the code scanning position or the sampling position.

[0127] S903: Determine the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube according to the test tube rack serial numbers corresponding to the first test tube and the second test tube.

[0128] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first test tube and the second test tube are located on different test tube racks. If the first test tube and the second test tube are located on the same test tube rack, the method of this embodiment can be calculated according to the above embodiment.

[0129] Optionally, since there can be two rows of test tube racks on the conveyor feed track at the same time, it can be known that multiple positioning structures are set on the conveyor at a certain distance, and each positioning structure includes two blocks for positioning the test tube rack. Therefore, when setting the positioning structure, the distance between adjacent blocks of different positioning mechanisms can be set according to actual conditions. This distance can also represent the spacing distance between two adjacent rows of test tube racks (when the block length is ignored). Therefore, the distance between the first row of test tube racks and the second row of test tube racks is fixed and known.

[0130] Furthermore, as described in the foregoing embodiment, the test tubes on each row of the test tube racks can be numbered. In this embodiment, different test tube racks are further numbered. Since the test tube racks have the same specifications, the distance between any two test tubes is also the same. Therefore, the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube can be calculated based on the relationship between the test tube serial numbers, the distance between the test tubes, and the distance between the test tube racks.

[0131] S904: Determine the distance between the first test tube and the target position according to the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube, and the second distance between the target position and the identification position.

[0132] In this embodiment, since the positions of multiple different identification positions and target positions are fixed, the distances between them are usually known when the sampling mechanism is set up. Therefore, based on the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube having been obtained, the final distance between the first test tube and the target position can be calculated based on the specific position references of the identification positions and the target position.

[0133] S905: According to the distance between the first test tube and the target position, the test tube rack is driven to move the first test tube to the target position.

[0134] Among them, the unit of the calculated distance between the first test tube and the target position can correspond to the unit of the distance moved during the motor operation control. For example, the distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is calculated and expressed based on the motor step (N steps) to achieve accurate control of the test tube displacement.

[0135] Unlike existing technologies, the test tube rack displacement control method provided in this embodiment accurately determines the distance between the first and second test tubes, as well as the distance between the target position and the identification position, corresponding to the test tube displacement instruction. This method then drives the first test tube to the target position based on this distance. This method provides precise displacement control for the directional movement of the test tubes, improving the accuracy of test tube displacement.

[0136] Optionally, you can also Figure 10 The steps shown are used to control the displacement of the test tube rack. Figure 10 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the test tube rack displacement control method provided by the present application. In this embodiment, calculations are performed based on the assumption that two rows of test tube racks can be on the conveyor feed track at the same time. The method is used to control the motor to drive the conveyor to rotate, thereby driving the test tube racks on the conveyor to move. The method specifically includes:

[0137] S1001: Obtain test tube displacement instructions.

[0138] The test tube displacement instruction indicates moving the first test tube on the test tube rack to the target position.

[0139] S1002: Determine the second test tube currently in the identification position.

[0140] S1003: Add serial numbers to the test tube racks according to the order of the test tube racks on the conveyor belt.

[0141] The order of the test tube racks can be represented by the order in which the test tube racks are loaded onto the conveyor belt, with the test tube rack loaded first being the first-numbered test tube rack and the test tube rack loaded later being the second-numbered test tube rack. In actual scenarios, more than two rows of test tube racks can be arranged depending on the length of the conveyor belt or the length of the sample feed mechanism. The method of this embodiment uses two rows of test tube racks as the standard for displacement control. The principle of the displacement control method for multiple rows of test tube racks is the same as that for two rows of test tube racks.

[0142] S1004: Taking the first test tube on the test tube rack with the first serial number as a reference, the test tubes on at least two test tube racks are numbered in sequence according to the order in which the test tubes are arranged.

[0143] The test tubes on the test tube racks are numbered in sequence according to the order in which the test tubes are arranged. Specifically, they can be numbered in descending order corresponding to the moving direction of the conveyor belt, that is, the test tubes closer to the sampling position have smaller numbers, and the test tubes farther from the sampling position have larger numbers. In addition, the first-numbered test tube rack and the second-numbered test tube rack are numbered as a whole. For example, taking a row of test tube racks with 10 test tubes as an example, the first test tube on the first-numbered test tube rack corresponding to the moving direction of the conveyor belt is numbered as No. 1, and the position of test tube No. 1 is used as a reference point to correspond to the first test tube on multiple rows of test tube racks. The remaining test tubes on the first-numbered test tube rack are further numbered in sequence as No. 2 to No. 10. When numbering the second-numbered test tube rack, the first test tube on the second-numbered test tube rack corresponding to the moving direction of the conveyor belt is numbered as No. 11, and the remaining test tubes are numbered as No. 11 to No. 20. When the conveyor belt can carry more test tube racks, the numbering method of the test tube racks and test tubes can be further arranged in the above manner.

[0144] Optionally, when a test tube rack is unloaded from the conveyor, the test tube racks are renumbered according to the order of the test tube racks on the conveyor. That is, when the test tube rack with the first sequence number completes inspection and is unloaded, the sequence number of the test tube rack with the second sequence number is updated, becoming the new test tube rack with the first sequence number. The test tubes numbered 11 to 20 on the original test tube rack with the second sequence number are also updated to 1 to 10 as the rack becomes the first sequence number test tube rack, with the position of the new test tube with the first sequence number being used as the new reference point.

[0145] S1005: Obtain a first number of the first test tube, and obtain a second number of the second test tube.

[0146] Based on the above, the numbers corresponding to the first test tube and the second test tube can be determined according to needs and numbering conditions.

[0147] S1006: Determine a first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube according to the distance between two adjacent test tubes, the distance between two adjacent test tube racks, and the difference between the first number and the second number.

[0148] In this embodiment, since the specifications of the test tube rack are known, the distance between any two adjacent test tubes is typically fixed, for example, 50 units. The distance between the first test tube and the second test tube can be calculated based on the difference between the first and second numbers, as well as the distance between the two adjacent test tube racks. When the first number is greater than the second number, the first distance between the first and second test tubes is determined to be a positive value; and when the first number is less than the second number, the first distance between the first and second test tubes is determined to be a negative value.

[0149] Among them, the distance between two adjacent test tube racks can be determined by the positioning structure of the fixed test tube rack, specifically by the multiple blocks in the positioning structure corresponding to the two adjacent test tube racks. Each positioning structure includes two blocks. The distance between the two blocks in a positioning structure corresponds to the length of the test tube rack. The distance between adjacent blocks of two different positioning structures can be set according to actual conditions. For example, it can be set to a length of about the width of a test tube, such as 55 unit lengths, which is the distance between adjacent test tube racks. The distance between adjacent test tube racks can be adjusted according to the actual thickness of the blocks, and no excessive restrictions are imposed here.

[0150] In a specific application scenario, for example, the first test tube is numbered 7 and the second test tube is numbered 13. At this time, the difference between the two is minus the distance between 6 adjacent test tubes. Further, based on the known distance between adjacent test tube racks, the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube can be calculated. It should be noted that when using the number difference for calculation here, the distance between one adjacent test tube needs to be subtracted, because the distance between test tube No. 11 and test tube No. 10 belongs to the calculation of the distance between adjacent test tube racks and cannot be calculated repeatedly. Therefore, the first distance between test tube No. 7 and test tube No. 13 is -((13-7-1)*50+55)=-305 unit lengths. Similarly, when the first number is 13 and the second number is 7, the final calculated first distance is +305 unit lengths.

[0151] S1007: Determine a second distance between the target position and the identification position.

[0152] Optionally, the specific steps of S1007 can be Figure 11 The method implementation shown specifically includes:

[0153] S10071: Determine the distance between the target position and the origin.

[0154] The origin is a fixed point on the conveyor belt, used to mark the position and distance of each target or identification position. It can be set based on actual conditions. Setting the origin position does not affect the positions of the target and identification positions, nor does it change the distance between them. The target position is the point to which the first test tube is moved according to the unique instruction, and can include the sampling position or the code scanning position. Therefore, since both the origin and target positions are pre-set points in the sample injection mechanism, the distance between them can be accurately determined.

[0155] S10072: Determine the distance between the marker and the origin.

[0156] The identification position is a reference position for calculating the required moving distance of the first test tube. As can be seen from the above description, the identification position and the origin are pre-set position points, so the distance between the two can also be accurately obtained.

[0157] Optionally, when the identification position is the loading position and the target position is the scanning position, when the loading position is the test tube rack loaded onto the conveyor belt, the position of the first test tube on the test tube rack closest to the scanning position, that is, the position of the first test tube in the running direction of the conveyor belt is used as the loading position. When the test tube rack moves, the position of the loading position remains unchanged, and the test tube number at the loading position changes immediately, and this is used as a reference for calculation; a scanning mechanism is provided on the scanning position for scanning the barcode on the test tube.

[0158] Optionally, when the identification position is the loading position and the target position is the sampling position, a sampling mechanism is provided on the sampling position for sampling the liquid in the test tube; in other embodiments, the identification position can also be a code scanning position and the target position is the sampling position. The specific settings can be made according to actual conditions and will not be elaborated here.

[0159] S10073: Determine a second distance between the target position and the marker position according to the distance between the target position and the origin and the distance between the marker position and the origin.

[0160] In an application scenario, for example, the target position to which the first test tube needs to move is the sampling position, and the identification position where the second test tube is located is the code scanning position. It can be obtained that the distance between the sampling position and the origin is 800 unit lengths (steps), and the distance between the code scanning position and the origin is 200 unit lengths (steps). Therefore, at this time, it can be calculated that the second distance between the target position and the identification position is 800-200=600 unit lengths.

[0161] S1008: Determine the distance between the first test tube and the target position according to the first distance and the second distance.

[0162] Specifically, S1008 can be implemented by the following steps: calculating the sum of the first distance and the second distance as the distance between the first test tube and the target position.

[0163] In this embodiment, since the first distance may be a positive or negative value, according to the above example, when the first distance is +305 unit lengths, the distance between the first test tube and the target position is 600+305=905 unit lengths; when the first distance is -305 unit lengths, the distance between the first test tube and the target position is 600-305=295 unit lengths.

[0164] S1009: According to the distance between the first test tube and the target position, the test tube rack is driven to move the first test tube to the target position.

[0165] According to the above example, the first test tube can be moved to the desired target position by controlling the motor to move, for example, 905 or 295 motor steps.

[0166] Therefore, the method of this embodiment accurately calculates the corresponding forward or backward step length required for this displacement based on the test tube number of the first test tube to be moved, the test tube number of the second test tube used for reference identification, the distance between two adjacent test tube racks, the identification position of the second test tube, and the target position to be reached by the first test tube. This method then controls the movement of the motor to achieve test tube position movement. In this way, the distance from any test tube to any position in different test tube racks can be accurately and quickly calculated, thereby accurately controlling test tube displacement, reducing the computational complexity of test tube movement, and improving work efficiency.

[0167] Therefore, the displacement control methods provided in the above-mentioned embodiments can accurately control the movement of the test tubes on the test tube rack, so that the target test tube can be accurately moved to the target position to complete the corresponding operation, thereby improving the efficiency of automatic sampling.

[0168] Optionally, since the motor may lose steps or overshoot during operation, when the motor controls the conveyor belt according to the distance calculated in the above steps, the accuracy of the test tube displacement will still be partially affected. Therefore, after S1009, the encoder can be used to perform position correction, specifically including:

[0169] A: When the first test tube moves, obtain the actual moving distance of the first test tube.

[0170] As you can see, encoders have higher precision than motors, allowing them to more accurately identify, monitor, and provide feedback on test tube movement. Since motor control operates in steps, when the first test tube moves under the motor's drive, the encoder simultaneously captures the actual distance traveled. Due to motor step loss or overshoot, the actual distance traveled may be greater or less than the motor's control step size.

[0171] B: Determine the error between the actual distance moved and the calculated distance.

[0172] The calculated distance is the theoretical distance the first test tube needs to move, calculated from the distances between the first test tube, the second test tube, the marker, and the target. This theoretical distance should equal the actual distance the motor moves, assuming the motor does not lose steps or overshoot. Therefore, in practice, due to motor error, the actual distance moved, as calculated by the encoder, must be used to calculate the error.

[0173] C: Accumulate the error value, and when the accumulated error value meets the preset threshold, compensate for the next displacement control.

[0174] The preset threshold value can be set according to actual conditions. In this embodiment, it can be set to 1 unit length, that is, 1 step.

[0175] In one application scenario, when the error between the actual movement distance obtained by the encoder and the calculated distance is greater than 0 but less than 1 step due to motor step loss or overshoot, the error values ​​calculated in the 0-1 stage are accumulated. When the accumulated error value is greater than 1 step, the error value of this step is added to the control step of the motor during the next displacement control of the test tube in the test tube rack to further improve the displacement accuracy of the test tube.

[0176] It can be understood that when the accumulated error value is not an integer, only the error value of the integer number of steps will be compensated, and the error value less than 1 step will continue to be accumulated. The accumulated error value will be compensated by rounding. For example, when the accumulated error value is 2.3, then 2 units of step distance will be compensated at present, and the remaining 0.3 will continue to be accumulated. For example, when the accumulated error value is 1.8, then 2 steps will be compensated by rounding, and the accumulated error value will become -0.2.

[0177] Optionally, in other embodiments, the control of the motor can be corrected by position optocouplers. For example, after each row of test tube racks is inspected, a reset can be performed, and the position of the conveyor belt can be located by optocouplers at the initial position to achieve optocoupler correction.

[0178] In this way, based on the accurate calculation of the displacement of the test tube, an encoder or position optical coupler can be used to ensure that the accuracy of the displacement is maintained at a high level, thereby further improving the accuracy of the test tube displacement.

[0179] S404: Unloading the test tube rack that has completed the operation from the conveyor belt.

[0180] Specifically, the unloading operation of S404 can be achieved by the following steps: moving the test tube rack to be unloaded to the test tube rack unloading area so that the positioning mechanism on the conveyor belt is aligned with the test tube rack unloading area; and pushing the test tube rack out of the conveyor belt.

[0181] Among them, when there are multiple rows of test tube racks on the feed track at the same time, if some test tube racks are scanned at the code scanning position while other test tube racks meet the unloading conditions, the unloading process will interrupt the work of the code scanning position. After the test tube racks that meet the unloading conditions are unloaded, the scanning of the remaining test tube racks will continue.

[0182] It can be seen that since sampling failure may occur during the test tube sampling process, if the test tube rack has been unloaded at this time, the test tubes on the test tube rack cannot be re-inspected. Therefore, in order to avoid this situation, it is necessary to detect and confirm the re-inspection decision information of all test tubes. Specifically, the problem can be solved by the following steps: determine whether the sample corresponding to the last test tube on the target test tube rack needs to be re-inspected; if so, unload the target test tube rack from the conveyor belt after the re-inspection of the sample corresponding to the last test tube is completed; if not, unload the target test tube rack from the conveyor belt.

[0183] The target test tube rack refers to a test tube rack that has completed all testing operations but may have test tube samples that need retesting. In this embodiment, the last test tube in the target test tube rack is judged by testing and confirming the retest decision information of the last test tube. When the retest decision information of the last test tube indicates completion, it indicates that all test tubes in the entire target test tube rack have completed retesting or do not need retesting. At this time, the target test tube rack can be directly unloaded from the conveyor belt.

[0184] If the re-inspection decision information of the last test tube indicates that it is not completed, it means that the last test tube needs to be re-inspected but has not been re-inspected. At this time, the last test tube needs to be moved to the sampling position again to sample and test the sample in the test tube. During the test, corresponding operations can also be performed on the test tubes on other test tube racks according to the preset priority order as described above. Only when the re-inspection decision information of the last test tube indicates that it is completed can the target test tube rack be unloaded from the conveyor belt.

[0185] Therefore, the sample analysis method provided in this embodiment provides a positioning mechanism on the conveyor belt to fix the position of the test tube rack on the conveyor belt by using the positioning mechanism, thereby preventing the test tube rack from sliding relative to the conveyor belt due to inertia. The conveyor belt with the positioning mechanism and the displacement control method are used to accurately drive the test tube rack to move to complete corresponding sample testing and other operations, thereby ensuring the stable progress of the sample analysis work and improving the sample analysis efficiency.

[0186] See Figure 12 , Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of a sample analysis device provided in the present application. The sample analysis device 120 includes a conveyor belt 121, a motor 122, and a controller 123. The conveyor belt 121 is used to carry and transport a test tube rack. The motor 122 is connected to the conveyor belt 121 and is used to drive the conveyor belt 121 to rotate, thereby causing at least one test tube rack on the conveyor belt 121 to move. The controller 123 is connected to the motor 122 and is used to control the motor using the following method:

[0187] At least one test tube rack is loaded onto a conveyor belt; wherein a positioning mechanism is provided on the conveyor belt, and the positioning mechanism is used to fix the test tube rack carried on the conveyor belt; according to the test tube displacement instruction, the test tube on the test tube rack is controlled to move to the target position to complete the corresponding operation on the test tube on the test tube rack; and the test tube rack that has completed the operation is unloaded from the conveyor belt.

[0188] Furthermore, the sample analysis device 120 also includes a loading mechanism, a code scanning mechanism, a sampling mechanism, an unloading mechanism, and the sampling mechanism described in the aforementioned embodiment (not shown in the figure). The loading mechanism is arranged at the loading position, and is used to load the test tube rack; the sampling mechanism is arranged at the sampling position, that is, downstream of the loading mechanism, and is used to sample the test tubes on the test tube rack; the code scanning mechanism is arranged at the code scanning position, that is, between the loading mechanism and the sampling mechanism, and is used to scan and identify the test tubes one by one. The unloading mechanism is arranged at the unloading position, that is, downstream of the loading mechanism, and is used to unload the test tube rack; the sample analysis device 120 can realize the automatic and intelligent completion of the functions of loading, code scanning, sampling, sampling, detection and unloading.

[0189] See Figure 13 , Figure 13 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of a computer-readable storage medium provided by the present application. The computer-readable storage medium 130 of this embodiment is used to store a computer program 131. When the computer program 131 is executed by a processor, it is used to implement the following method steps:

[0190] At least one test tube rack is loaded onto a conveyor belt; wherein a positioning mechanism is provided on the conveyor belt, and the positioning mechanism is used to fix the test tube rack carried on the conveyor belt; according to the test tube displacement instruction, the test tube on the test tube rack is controlled to move to the target position to complete the corresponding operation on the test tube on the test tube rack; and the test tube rack that has completed the operation is unloaded from the conveyor belt.

[0191] It should be noted that the method steps executed by the computer program 131 of this embodiment are based on the above method embodiments, and their implementation principles and steps are similar. Therefore, when the computer program 131 is executed by the processor, it can also implement other method steps in any of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] When the embodiments of the present application are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0193] The above description is only an implementation method of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made according to the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A displacement control method for a test tube rack, characterized in that: The method is used to control a motor to drive a conveyor belt to rotate, thereby driving a test tube rack on the conveyor belt to move, and the method includes: Obtaining a test tube displacement instruction; wherein the test tube displacement instruction indicates moving the first test tube on the test tube rack to a target position; Determine the second test tube currently in the identification position; Determine the distance between two adjacent test tubes; Obtaining a first number of the first test tube, and obtaining a second number of the second test tube; Determining a first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube according to the distance between the two adjacent test tubes and the difference between the first number and the second number; wherein the test tubes on the test tube rack are numbered in sequence according to the order in which the test tubes are arranged; and Determining a second distance between the target position and the identification position; determining a distance between the first test tube and the target location based on the first distance and the second distance; The test tube rack is driven according to the distance between the first test tube and the target position to move the first test tube to the target position.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The test tubes on the test tube rack are numbered in descending order according to the order in which the test tubes are arranged and corresponding to the moving direction of the conveyor belt; The determining the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube according to the distance between the two adjacent test tubes and the difference between the first number and the second number includes: When the first number is greater than the second number, determining that the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is a positive value; or When the first number is smaller than the second number, the first distance between the first test tube and the second test tube is determined to be a negative value.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Determining the second distance between the target position and the identification position includes: determining the distance between the target location and the origin; and Determining the distance between the identification position and the origin; A second distance between the target position and the identification position is determined according to the distance between the target position and the origin and the distance between the identification position and the origin.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the distance between the first test tube and the target location based on the first distance and the second distance includes: The sum of the first distance and the second distance is calculated as the distance between the first test tube and the target site.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The identification position is a loading position, and the target position is a barcode scanning position. The loading position is the position of the first test tube on the test tube rack closest to the scanning position when the test tube rack is loaded onto the conveyor belt. The barcode scanning position is provided with a barcode scanning mechanism for scanning the barcode on the test tube; or The identification position is a loading position, the target position is a sampling position, and a sampling mechanism is provided on the sampling position for sampling the liquid in the test tube; or The identification bit is a scan bit, and the target bit is a sampling bit.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first test tube moves, obtaining an actual moving distance of the first test tube; Determining an error value between the actual travel distance and the calculated distance; The error values ​​are accumulated, and when the accumulated error value meets a preset threshold, compensation is performed on the next displacement control.

7. A sample analysis device, characterized in that: The sample analysis device comprises: Conveyor belt, used to carry and transport test tube racks; a motor connected to the conveyor belt and configured to drive the conveyor belt to rotate, thereby driving the test tube rack on the conveyor belt to move; A controller is connected to the motor and is used to control the motor using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the computer program is used to implement the displacement control method of the test tube rack according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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