A sample tube transfer device

Abstract

The present application relates to the medical field, specifically to a sample tube transfer device, comprising a sample tube receiving part with N sample tube receiving units, and a sample tube clamp for transferring at least one sample tube into or out of the N sample tube receiving units of the sample tube receiving part, further comprising a driving part for driving the sample tube receiving part to be in at least two states, the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in M states (M >= 2), the sample tubes on the N sample tube receiving units are divided into M distribution areas each consisting of no less than N / M sample tube receiving units, and when the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in two different states, the adjacent two distribution areas have a preset overlap degree, and the sample tube clamp can clamp the sample tubes in the predetermined distribution area in the two different states; the beneficial effect is that the cooperation of the sample tube clamp with the 70% or even 100% overlap rate in different states makes the operation track of the sample tube clamp more fixed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to automated devices and systems for sample transfer in the medical field, specifically to a sample tube transfer device. Background Technology

[0002] Automated analytical equipment (ADI) is essential in hospitals and healthcare facilities for automatically analyzing blood and other biological samples and outputting results. These ADI devices need to perform various tests within a short timeframe. Medical automated analyzers, used to analyze specific components in live samples (such as blood and urine), are crucial for efficiently performing large, medium, and small-scale analyses, especially in hospitals with large patient populations and in clinics contracted to perform analyses with these hospitals or doctors' offices. Furthermore, in special circumstances, such as public health incidents caused by bacteria or viruses, even higher demands are placed on the processing speed and sample throughput of automated analytical equipment.

[0003] To meet these needs, various automated analyzers have been proposed to date. Sample preparation or sample setup modules are prerequisites for automated analyzers. These modules typically include unit modules such as sample addition units, sample transfer units, sample identification units, sample tracking units, and oscillation mixing units. The sample transfer unit is the functional unit that transports samples between various modules, usually including manual or automated transfer systems. Automated systems may include conveyors or loading arms to facilitate sample exchange between different units. The sample identification unit is particularly important for ensuring accurate test results, as these results directly affect the correct treatment of the subject or the reliability of the test results. Incorrect sample mixing or result reporting can cause significant personal injury. Samples are typically identified using sample identifiers (barcodes, QR codes, RFID, etc.). The oscillation mixing unit rapidly and thoroughly mixes the sample solution, ensuring that the sample solution contains sufficient amounts of the analyte in subsequent analyses, and that the analyte and reagents are thoroughly mixed, thus minimizing the error rate of the test results.

[0004] European patent EP1295843B1, "Cap opening system," directly discloses a solution using a gripper to open and close sample tube caps. This solution can be used as a modular component in sample liquid processing systems, not as a system-level design. US patent US9336424B2, "Barcode reader, barcode reading method, and barcode reading program," provides a separate sample tube information recognition module implementation approach, focusing on how barcode readers can correctly identify object edges and accurately provide recognition results. Other applications also include single-module solutions for automated systems. US patent US7985375B2, "Sample preparation system and method for processing clinical specimens," discloses a sample liquid transfer system designed with a disc. This system requires a specially designed sample receiving section and directly integrates a combined cap opening / closing device and pipette. The pipetting position is relatively fixed, posing a significant risk of cross-contamination. Furthermore, the pipette's stroke needs to be adapted to the range of the sample tube receiving section, making the system complex and difficult to reduce in size under high sample volume requirements. The US patent US5882594A, Device and method for automatic sample pretreatment, discloses an automated sample processing system that designs a pipette that spans the sample tube receiving section and the pipette receiving section. This design requires the sample tube receiving section to have its own mixing mechanism, and the long-stroke pipette also occupies too much space, which seriously restricts the miniaturization and high-capacity design of the equipment.

[0005] Therefore, designing a solution that can adapt to large-volume processing needs, reduce the travel distance of transfer devices, and meet the requirements of low pollution and low cost, based on all the functional units of the pretreatment equipment and methods, is an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a sample tube transfer device. This device has a compact structure and small size, and can detect the position of the stirring sleeve in real time during operation, thus avoiding the disruption of normal operation caused by the stirring sleeve loosening or even falling off.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by this invention is as follows:

[0008] A sample tube transfer device, characterized in that: it includes a sample tube receiving section having N sample tube receiving units, and a sample tube clamp for transferring at least one sample tube into or out of the N sample tube receiving units of the sample tube receiving section, and further includes a driving section for driving the sample tube receiving section to be in at least two states, the driving section driving the sample tube receiving section to be in M ​​states (M≥2), the sample tubes on the N sample tube receiving units are divided into M distribution areas composed of sample tubes of not less than N / M sample tube receiving units, and when the driving section drives the sample tube receiving section to be in two different preset states, there is a preset overlap between two adjacent distribution areas, and the sample tube clamp can clamp the sample tube in the predetermined distribution area when in the two different preset states.

[0009] Preferably, the pre-defined overlap between two adjacent distribution areas is not less than 70%.

[0010] Preferably, the pre-defined overlap between two adjacent distribution areas is 100%.

[0011] Preferably, the driving unit can drive the sample tube receiving unit to be in two states. When the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to be in the first state, the sample tubes of N / 2 sample tube receiving units form a first distribution area. When the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to be in the second state, the sample tubes of the remaining N / 2 sample tube receiving units form a second distribution area with a preset degree of overlap with the first distribution area.

[0012] Preferably, the driving unit can drive the sample tube receiving unit to three states. When the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the first state, the sample tubes of N / 3 of the sample tube receiving units form a first distribution area. When the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the second state, the sample tubes of the remaining N / 3 of the sample tube receiving units form a second distribution area with a preset degree of overlap with the first distribution area. When the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the third state, the sample tubes of the last N / 3 of the remaining sample tubes form a third distribution area with a preset degree of overlap with the first distribution area.

[0013] Preferably, the sample tube clamp has a multi-degree-of-freedom stroke formed by X, Y, and Z drives.

[0014] Preferably, the travel of the sample tube clamp in any dimension does not cover the maximum dimension of the sample tube receiving part along that dimension.

[0015] Preferably, it also includes a mixing module, wherein the sample tube clamp can transfer the sample tube from the first region or the second region to the mixing module, thereby achieving stirring and mixing of the sample liquid in the sample tube.

[0016] Preferably, the drive unit includes a drive motor and a pulley transmission mechanism connected to the drive motor, wherein the pulley transmission mechanism converts the power of the drive motor into the driving force of the sample tube receiving unit.

[0017] Preferably, the drive unit includes a turntable structure that receives the sample tube receiving unit, and the turntable structure is detachably connected to the sample tube receiving unit.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0019] 1. In the present invention, the sample tube receiving unit can receive a considerable number of sample tubes, such as 48, 96, 192, 288, 384, etc., thus enabling rapid processing of a large number of samples in a single operation. The sample tube receiving unit is configured to be driven by a variable-state drive unit, so that different sample tube component areas have a preset overlap rate in different states. This allows the sample tube clamp to transfer sample tubes within a set range when transferring sample tubes, thereby enabling it to be set to a shorter stroke and a smaller range of motion. Of course, in order to meet different sample tube processing volumes, the number of variable states implemented by the variable-state drive can be set to 2, 3, 4, etc.

[0020] 2. The overlap rate of 70% or even 100% under different states makes the running trajectory of the sample tube clamp more fixed. The movement path does not need to cover the entire size range of the sample tube receiving part, which ensures that the whole system is more compact and reduces the control complexity and enhances reliability during system operation. At this time, the multi-degree-of-freedom transfer clamp driven by X, Y and Z axes can achieve higher precision control in a smaller range. Meanwhile, the configuration of stirring and mixing modules, sample tube recognition modules, etc. in the processing system or device can achieve multiple advantages such as low pollution and low cost under the planned compact structure. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To provide a clearer understanding of the present invention, this disclosure is further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and illustrative embodiments. The drawings and embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a limitation of the disclosure.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sample tube transfer device module provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the consumable receiving section of a sample tube transfer device provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a consumable receiving unit in different quantities provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a transfer gripper and consumable receiving unit in two states, provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0027] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0028] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0029] With the increasing demand for disease testing and the growing requirements for large-scale public health and livestock disease prevention, there is a growing need for more automated processing systems. Higher levels of automation reduce the risk of errors caused by sluggish manual operations and significantly reduce the labor required for testing. Simultaneously, the sample processing system needs to ensure a sufficient sample volume for each run, which is crucial for large-scale testing and diagnosis. However, current system designs, in order to guarantee high sample processing capacity, suffer from high complexity, large size, and high cost, failing to achieve optimal system size while maintaining sufficient processing capacity. This invention addresses these shortcomings by designing a sample tube transfer device and a sample processing system comprising it, which solves the problem of excessive system size while maintaining sufficient sample processing capacity.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sample tube transfer device module provided by the present invention. It includes a sample tube receiving section 101 with N sample tube receiving units 1011. To ensure the operating efficiency of the transfer device, the number N of sample tube receiving units 1011 can be 48, 96, 192, 288, 384, etc. The sample tube receiving section 101 does not require special design; a simple structure with a bearing hole for placing sample tubes is sufficient. In a simple structural design, the sample loading module of the transfer device is equipped with a turntable structure 102 that drives the sample tube receiving section 101 to change its state. The turntable structure 102 obtains power to change the state of the sample tube receiving section through a power source motor 1021 of the driving section. The turntable structure 102 is detachably connected to the sample tube receiving section 101, thus enabling the sample tube receiving section 101 to be removed as a whole, making it easier to add the required experimental sample containers. The sample tube clamp 20 used in conjunction with the sample tube receiving unit is used to transfer sample tubes into or out of at least one of the N receiving units of the sample tube receiving section. To ensure the compatibility of the processing system, the sample tube clamp 20 is usually designed as a gripper structure 201 with adjustable spacing, such as a two-grip type, a three-grip type, etc. To ensure that the automated gripper has the ability to acquire samples at any position, the gripper structure 201 generally includes a three-dimensional drive motor and running track, including a Z-axis motion auxiliary mechanism that can move up and down along the Z-axis, a Y-axis motion auxiliary mechanism that can move back and forth along the Y-axis, and an X-axis motion auxiliary mechanism that can move back and forth along the X-axis. In this way, the batch of sample tubes contained in the sample tube receiving section 101 can be transferred quickly and accurately. Some systems are designed with long-stroke motion assist mechanisms. Such systems are very expensive and bulky in batch processing scenarios with a large number of sample tubes. Other designs use a ring-shaped turntable structure to prevent the use of an excessively large sample tube transfer device. However, the ring-shaped turntable structure requires a streamlined operation, and the addition and unloading of sample tubes are too frequent. To solve this problem, a sample tube transfer structure that works with the sample tube receiving unit 101 needs to be added to the ring-shaped turntable structure. However, this increases the operation chain of the entire processing system. The sample tube receiving unit 101 should not be designed to receive too many sample tubes under this structure, otherwise the efficiency improvement brought by the turntable structure itself will be lost.The transfer structure of this invention does not employ a continuous turntable operation scheme. Instead, it improves the design by coordinating the robotic arm transfer structure with the state changes of the sample tube receiving unit 101. In the first state, the motion assist mechanism of the sample tube clamp only needs to ensure that it can adapt to the transfer requirements of no more than N / 2 sample tubes. This can greatly reduce the stroke length of the motion assist mechanism, thereby minimizing the size. After completing the transfer and reset of no more than N / 2 sample tubes, the drive unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the second state (here, the drive unit drives the sample tube receiving unit 101 to at least two states, which can be set to two different states, that is, these two states can be set to two adjacent different states or two spaced-out states, at which time there is a preset overlap between two adjacent distribution areas). At this time, there are no more than N / 2 receiving units in the first state, and no more than N / The sample tubes of the two receiving units form a second distribution area with a preset overlap with the first distribution area (the two distribution areas can be two adjacent areas). In the second state, the sample tube clamp can clamp the sample tube in the second distribution area. In this way, the purpose of transferring the sample tube in a limited space is achieved by using the automated sample tube clamp 20 in conjunction with the sample tube state change drive unit. This can achieve the effect of always transferring the sample tube within the set area. At the same time, there is no need for special requirements on the sample tube receiving unit 101 itself or any special design changes. In order to ensure that the transfer device can simultaneously meet the requirement of fully oscillating and mixing the sample liquid in the sample tube, the sample tube clamp 20 transfers the sample tube in the sample tube receiving unit 101 to the mixing module. In order to ensure the efficiency of the transfer device, the mixing module can include two oscillating and mixing sub-units, each of which is as follows. Figure 1 One of the oscillating mixing subunits, 301, includes two or more sample tube carrying holes. Since the oscillating mixing unit is a separate module, it is designed to perform complex types of motion, such as cycloidal left-right motion and rotational motion around its own axis. This ensures that an appropriate level of turbulence is maintained during the oscillation mixing process, preventing increased contamination risk or physical impact on the sample being analyzed. This design also maximizes the advantages of the fixture application, minimizing the interrelationships and influences between different modules. It eliminates the need to consider designs like those in European patent application EP2927686A4, which involve simultaneous rotation and oscillation of multiple objects, resulting in higher costs and lower reliability. Furthermore, both oscillating subunits include two separate drive motors, 3011 and 3021, for driving the motion of the oscillating subunits, enabling them to also perform transport operations and ensuring the rationality of the system design.

[0032] Example 2

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the consumable receiving section of a sample tube transfer device provided by the present invention. The switchable turntable structure 102 may include multiple locking structures 1026 for the sample tube receiving sections 101, used to fix and maintain the sample tube receiving sections 101 to prevent deflection or other movement or dislocation during sample tube transfer. The cross-sectional structure along direction aa in the figure clearly shows the detailed structural design of the turntable structure 102. The rotational power output by the power source motor 1021 can be transmitted by a pulley structure with low precision requirements, thus ensuring a low cost for the entire design. The pulley transmits the motion to the driven wheel 1023, which can drive the driven wheel 1023 to move. The driven wheel 1023 is connected to a transmission shaft 1024 to further transmit the motion. The transmission shaft can be connected to a small turntable structure and multiple transmission pins 1025. The motion of the drive shaft is ultimately transmitted to the turntable 102, thus changing the state of the sample tube receiving part 101 placed on the turntable. In order to ensure that the sample tube receiving part 101 can be installed correctly and reliably, the turntable also includes a detection unit 1022, which can be a mechanical or photoelectric sensor unit. This enables reliable monitoring of the detachable connection process of the sample tube receiving part 101. Of course, the turntable can contain more detection units 1022 in more positions, which is not limited here.

[0034] Example 3

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a consumable receiving unit with different states provided by the present invention. When the number of states that the driving unit can drive the sample tube receiving unit to change is 2, when the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the first state, the sample tubes of N / 2 receiving units form a first distribution area S10. When the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the second state, the remaining N / 2 receiving units form a second distribution area S20 with a preset overlap with the first distribution area. Preferably, the preset overlap is more than 70%, and more preferably, the overlap can be 100%. The overlapping area of ​​the two states in state I is S210. In this state, the motion assist mechanism only needs to cover all areas in state I. It is not necessary to design the sample tube clamp to reach all holes of the sample tube receiving unit 101 for sample tube transfer. When the preset overlap is 100%, the sample tube clamp only needs to ensure that half of the sample tubes can be clamped. In this way, the system volume will be greatly reduced, and the movement path of the sample tube clamp 20 will also be reduced, thus reducing the complexity of control. When the number of states that the driving unit can drive the sample tube receiving unit to change is 3, that is... Figure 3In the illustrated scenario II, when the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the first state, the sample tubes of N / 3 of the receiving units form a first distribution area S10. When the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the second state, the sample tubes of the remaining N / 3 of the receiving units form a second distribution area S20 with a preset overlap with the first distribution area. When the driving unit drives the sample tube receiving unit to the third state, the sample tubes of the last N / 3 of the remaining sample tubes form a third distribution area S30 with a preset overlap with the first distribution area. During this process, the two preset overlaps can be the same or different. Of course, the overlap in different states can be set to 100%. In this case, it is only necessary to ensure that 1 / 3 of the sample tubes can be gripped by the sample tube clamp 20. Of course, when the number of states that the driving unit can drive the sample tube receiving unit to change is 4, that is... Figure 3 In the scenario illustrated in section III, under the ideal 100% overlap, it is only necessary to ensure that 1 / 4 of the sample tubes can be gripped by the sample tube clamp 20. This will not be elaborated further here. However, excessive state change control means more precise and complex control, and there is a reasonable design point in terms of volume reduction. Therefore, it is optimal to design the variable states to a smaller number, such as 2, 3, or 4.

[0036] Example 4

[0037] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the working principle of the sample tube receiving unit in conjunction with the transfer fixture when the number of variable states is two. The sample tube transfer fixture 20 is typically designed with X, Y, and Z-axis drive mechanisms. However, with the increasing demand for batch sample transfers and the growing prevalence of processing or transferring more samples at once, existing structural designs require long-stroke drive mechanisms to ensure rapid and accurate sample tube transfer. This results in a system with exceptionally high control complexity and size. Figure 4The schematic diagram illustrates the principle of the present invention, which only needs to cover the area of ​​N / 2 sample tubes. This greatly reduces the stroke of the drive mechanism. For example, in the initial first state, the transfer fixture 20 first transfers the sample tubes in the first distribution area S10 composed of N / 2 sample tubes according to the predetermined first path C01. After the transfer and distribution of the sample tubes in the first area S10 in the first state is completed, the turntable structure 102 rotates to switch to the second state. At this time, the second area S20 composed of the remaining N / 2 sample tubes rotates to the original position of the first area, forming a 100% overlap between the two states. At this time, the transfer fixture transfers the sample tubes according to the predetermined second path C02 until the transfer and reset operation of all sample tubes is completed. Of course, the transfer path can be the same in the two states. The transfer path can be generated according to a predetermined rule, and the transfer area of ​​the transfer fixture can be set to a predetermined area that hardly changes. This is not limited here.

[0038] Example 5

[0039] Of course, this invention can be applied to the sample pretreatment system of an automated sample tube transfer device, which may include a sample tube loading unit that can add, for example, 96, 192, 288, 384, etc., sample tubes for one-time processing. A sample tube transfer fixture is used to grab or unload sample tubes from the sample tube receiving section 101 of the loading unit 10. To ensure that the transferred sample liquid contains sufficient samples, it is usually necessary to properly agitate and mix the sample liquid. Many existing automated systems integrate agitation devices directly into the loading unit to meet the requirements of sample agitation and mixing. However, such a design requires simultaneous agitation of all sample tubes. In batch processing systems, the number of sample tubes in the loading unit is large, making it unlikely to achieve simultaneous one-time transfer of all tubes. Directly designing a collection-type agitation system would result in high overall system design costs. Maintaining the required turbulence also places high demands on the reliability of the system operation. Therefore, this invention does not adopt a design scheme of a collection of agitation units. The sample pretreatment system may include two or more sample oscillation and mixing sub-modules 301 and 302. The transfer fixture 20 includes a Z-axis up-and-down movement drive mechanism and a Y-axis forward-and-backward movement drive mechanism, and may also include an X-axis left-and-right movement drive mechanism; this is not limited, thus enabling any set position within the sample treatment system to be covered. The transfer fixture 20 can grip the sample tube in the loading unit 10 and transfer it to one of the oscillation and mixing sub-units. The oscillation and mixing sub-unit can mix the sample solution according to a predetermined degree of turbulence. The transfer fixture 20 can also grip the sample tube from the return oscillation and mixing sub-unit after sample transfer, thus resetting the corresponding orifice position before returning the transferred sample tube to the loading unit 10. After oscillation and mixing, the sample tube is transported below the switch cap unit. The oscillation and mixing process can be performed simultaneously during the sample tube transfer or a specific timing sequence can be arranged to complete the oscillation and mixing process. The cap-opening unit can contain two cap-opening units, the same number as the sample tubes in the oscillation subunit. Each unit includes cap-opening grippers and tube-fixing grippers that mate with the tube body. Alternatively, a locking and fixing mechanism can be incorporated into the oscillation subunit to accommodate the cap-opening grippers; this is not a limitation. After the sample tube is opened, the pipette can perform pipetting operations. Before this, the pipette can collect tip consumables. To accommodate the rapid sample transfer requirements of the oscillation mixing subunit, the pipette can include two sub-pipettes. Furthermore, to ensure the transferred liquid better adapts to the size characteristics of the pipetting receiver, the distance between the two sub-pipettes is adjustable, ranging from 20mm to 70mm. The pipette also includes X, Y, and Z-axis motion drive mechanisms. To ensure system simplicity, cost reduction, and reliability, the pipette and sample tube transfer clamp share a common X-axis motion track.The pipette can simultaneously or separately aspirate sample liquid from the sample tube with the tip, then move to the corresponding well of the deep well plate to receive the sample liquid, and finally simultaneously or separately discharge the transferred sample liquid to the corresponding well of the deep well plate to complete the transfer. After use, the sample tube is capped again by the capping module, and the sample tube is transported and unloaded by the oscillation mixing subunit. The pipette also moves to the unloading well to unload the tip.

[0040] Of course, this solution can also be applied to other systems to achieve the optimal design of system volume, such as in flow-through PCR detection systems, in whole blood experimental systems, etc., and is not limited here.

[0041] Those skilled in the art should understand that this invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A sample tube transfer device, characterized by: The sample tube receiving part includes N sample tube receiving units, and a sample tube clamp that transfers at least one sample tube into or out of the N sample tube receiving units of the sample tube receiving part. The driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in at least two states. The driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in M states, where M is greater than or equal to 2. The sample tubes on the N sample tube receiving units are divided into M distribution areas, each of which includes no less than N / M sample tube receiving units. When the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in two different states, the adjacent two distribution areas have a preset overlap. The sample tube clamp can clamp the sample tubes in the predetermined distribution area when the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in the two different states. The preset overlap between the adjacent two distribution areas can be the same or different. The preset overlap between the adjacent two distribution areas is no less than 70%. The driving part includes a turntable structure that receives the sample tube receiving part. The turntable structure is detachably connected with the sample tube receiving part, so that the sample tube receiving part can be integrally transferred. The sample tube clamp has a multi-degree-of-freedom stroke formed by X, Y and Z driving. The stroke of the sample tube clamp in any dimension is not covered by the maximum size of the sample tube receiving part in the dimension.

2. The sample tube transfer device of claim 1, wherein, The preset overlap between the adjacent two distribution areas is 100%.

3. The sample tube transfer device of claim 1, wherein, The driving part can drive the sample tube receiving part to be in two states. When the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in a first state, the sample tubes on N / 2 sample tube receiving units form a first distribution area. When the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in a second state, the sample tubes on the remaining N / 2 sample tube receiving units form a second distribution area that has a preset overlap with the first distribution area.

4. The sample tube transfer device of claim 1, wherein, The driving part can drive the sample tube receiving part to be in three states. When the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in a first state, the sample tubes on N / 3 sample tube receiving units form a first distribution area. When the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in a second state, another N / 3 sample tubes on the remaining sample tube receiving units form a second distribution area that has a preset overlap with the first distribution area. When the driving part drives the sample tube receiving part to be in a third state, the last N / 3 sample tubes on the remaining sample tube receiving units form a third distribution area that has a preset overlap with the first distribution area.

5. The sample tube transfer device of claim 3 or 4, wherein, The driving part includes a driving motor and a belt transmission mechanism that is connected with the driving motor. The belt transmission mechanism converts the driving force of the driving motor into the driving force of the sample tube receiving part.

6. The sample tube transfer device of claim 1, wherein, The driving part includes a driving motor and a belt transmission mechanism that is connected with the driving motor. The belt transmission mechanism converts the driving force of the driving motor into the driving force of the sample tube receiving part.

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