A sample processing device with a double turntable structure
Through the reasonable layout and independent driving design of the dual turntable structure, the cross-contamination and compatibility problems in the sample processing system are solved, and low-cost and efficient sample liquid treatment is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202210353502.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-04-06
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-19
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-04-06
AI Technical Summary
The existing sample processing system has the risk of cross-contamination during sample liquid treatment, and compatibility and cost issues have not been effectively resolved.
The sample processing device with a double turntable structure is adopted. Through the rational layout design, the independently driven outer ring turntable and inner ring turntable are used to cooperate with the low-tooth gear to ensure that the movement path of the pipette's Tip head does not cross. Combined with independent motor drive and auxiliary support wheels, it achieves interference-free rotation and is compatible with different deep-hole plates and consumables.
It effectively reduces the risk of cross-contamination, has strong compatibility, reduces system complexity and cost, and realizes efficient and low-pollution automation of sample liquid treatment.
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Figure CN114720710B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automated sample processing equipment in the medical field, and in particular to a sample processing device with a double turntable structure. Background Art
[0002] In recent years, diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens have attracted increasing attention. Historically, large-scale public safety incidents caused by viruses have also tested humanity and posed significant challenges to human production and daily life, causing suffering and even death to countless people, while also severely hindering global economic development. Furthermore, as humans pursue a healthier lifestyle, a growing number of testing technologies based on the body's own blood, cells, secretions, and excretions are rapidly developing. Examples include screening for congenital diseases using amniotic fluid samples collected during pregnancy, disease screening and treatment plan validation using whole blood samples, and disease screening using nasal, pharyngeal, and anal swabs.
[0003] Driven by more other demands, the above two demands require sample processing systems that are faster, have lower contamination risks, and require less manual intervention to meet the needs. Sample processing systems or related modules developed in the existing technology include: US invention patent US7985375B2 Sample preparation system and method for processing clinical specimens discloses a fully automatic consumables loading device that includes a pipette, a consumables loading unit, a barcode recognition unit, etc. in a shell. However, due to unreasonable planning and layout, this design has a non-negligible risk of contamination due to aerosols, etc. during the sample liquid processing process. European invention patent EP3467511B1 Automatic analyzer and operating method for same discloses a multi-sample analysis system based on a dual-turntable sample addition unit design. Although the sample processing speed of the analysis system can be improved, the addition of sample tubes on the dual turntables still has a contamination risk. US invention patent US10613106B2 (Reaction vessel handling apparatus, testing apparatus, and methods using same) discloses a spatially overlapping and staggered design for the sample tube and transfer receiving portion. This design requires two highly precise rotary drive systems to ensure accurate transfer of the sample liquid within each circumferentially distributed sample tube. This increases technical complexity and fails to reduce the risk of contamination within the system. US patent application US20210293671A1 (Devices and components for automated tissue processing and staining and uses thereof) discloses a pretreatment system based on a special consumable design and a segmented layer structure to reduce contamination. However, this system cannot be used in conjunction with universal deep-well plate consumables, resulting in limited promotion and high cost and complexity.
[0004] However, with the use of more sensitive reagents, even minor contamination can increase the probability of false positives in the final diagnosis process, which is an unacceptable and significant risk. Therefore, reducing the risk of cross-contamination within the sample liquid processing system through rational layout design while also meeting the requirements of low-cost design has become a pressing technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to address the deficiencies in the prior art and provide a sample processing device with a dual turntable structure. The device reduces the risk of cross-contamination that may occur within the sample liquid processing system through a rational design of the layout structure, while also being compatible with low-cost design requirements.
[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution provided by the present invention is:
[0007] A sample processing device with a dual turntable structure is characterized by: including a first turntable 10, with multiple transfer liquid receiving units arranged in the circumferential direction of the first turntable 10, a second turntable 20 is provided in the center of the first turntable 10, and N consumable receiving racks 201 are arranged on the second turntable 20; it also includes a pipetting module 30, the pipetting module 30 includes at least one pipetting sub-unit, the pipetting module 30 picks up and installs at least one consumable on a consumable receiving rack 201 of the second turntable 20, and performs sample liquid transfer or consumable unloading in an area outside the second turntable 20.
[0008] Preferably, the transfer liquid receiving unit includes a receiving portion 101 , and a deep-well plate is connected to the receiving portion 101 via a first clamping portion 1011 .
[0009] Preferably, the consumables receiving rack 201 is connected to a pipette tip via a second engaging portion 2011 .
[0010] Preferably, the first turntable 10 and the second turntable 20 have independent driving structures, so that the two turntables can rotate independently.
[0011] Preferably, the first turntable 10 is driven by a first motor through a meshing gear pair, and the second turntable 20 is driven by a second motor through a pulley.
[0012] Preferably, the meshing gear pair is a configuration of low tooth number and high tooth number.
[0013] Preferably, the high-tooth-count gear is supported by no less than two auxiliary support wheels.
[0014] Preferably, the first turntable and the second turntable are located on the same horizontal plane, and the central axes of the two turntables substantially coincide.
[0015] Preferably, when the first turntable (10) completes one rotation, the second turntable (20) rotates no less than 1 / N of a rotation.
[0016] Preferably, the number of the transfer liquid receiving units is 6, and the number N of the consumables receiving racks (201) is 2.
[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:
[0018] 1. In the solution of the present invention, multiple sample liquid receiving units are arranged in the circumferential direction of the outer ring turntable, an inner ring turntable is set at the center of the outer ring, and N consumables receiving racks are provided. The consumables can be pipette Tip heads used in pipettes, and a pipetting part composed of no less than one pipetting sub-unit. The pipetting part picks up and installs at least one pipette Tip consumable on one of the consumables receiving racks at the center position, and performs operations such as sample liquid transfer or consumables unloading in the area outside the center of the first turntable. In this way, there is no spatial overlap between the Tip head loading process and the pipetting or unloading Tip head process, avoiding the risk of cross contamination caused by the overlap of the used Tip head movement path and the new loading path.
[0019] 2. The sample liquid receiving unit of the present invention is configured as a deep-well plate consumable (for example, a 96-well plate with 16 sample receiving wells is used more frequently), which ensures the compatibility of the pre-treatment system and can be used with different nucleic acid extractors, such as Tianlong Technology's GeneRotex nucleic acid extractor. The larger number of consumable receiving racks in the center can meet the needs of processing a larger number of samples.
[0020] 3. The present invention meets the different rotation requirements of the inner and outer rings through an independent driving source, such as an independent motor drive. The coordinated use of gear pairs and pulley transmission allows the entire dual-turntable system to operate reliably without interfering with each other. The coordination of high and low tooth numbers can be compatible with more transfer liquid receiving units and can also adapt to position adjustments at smaller angles. With the auxiliary support of no less than two auxiliary support wheels, the entire transmission system can operate smoothly and reliably. The two turntables are basically located on the same horizontal plane, and the central axes of the two turntables basically coincide. This design ensures that there will be no excessive operational errors in operations such as pipette transfer and pickup, thereby ensuring the reliability of the entire system.
[0021] 4. In the present invention, after the outer ring turntable completes a full circle of rotation, the inner ring turntable rotates at least 1 / N circle, thereby achieving relative fixation in the installation of pipette consumables and the replacement and installation of new consumables, and also ensuring the continuity of installation and unloading of the sample liquid receiving unit. In combination with the variable-spacing pipette sub-unit, it realizes compatibility with deep-well plates of different models from different companies. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] In order to more clearly understand the present invention, the present disclosure is further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and exemplary embodiments. The drawings and embodiments are used for explanation and do not constitute a limitation to the disclosure.
[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a double turntable layout structure provided by the present invention;
[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a double-turntable layout structure provided by the present invention;
[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a dual turntable layout with auxiliary wheels provided by the present invention;
[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the motion trajectory of a pipette with a double turntable structure provided by the present invention;
[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a processing system including a double turntable structure provided by the present invention. Figure 1 ;
[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a processing system including a double turntable structure provided by the present invention. Figure 2 ;
[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a processing system including a double turntable structure provided by the present invention. Figure 3 ;
[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of a sample processing system with a dual turntable structure provided by the present invention;
[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the operation flow of a sample processing system provided by the present invention.
[0032] As shown in the figure: the first turntable 10, the receiving part 101, the first clamping part 1011, the second turntable 20, the consumables receiving rack 201 and the second clamping part 2011, the first drive motor 11, the output gear 112, the drive gear 113, the connecting member 114, the second drive motor 21, the output pulley 211, the belt 212, the drive pulley 213, the rotating shaft 214, the first auxiliary support wheel 1131, and the second auxiliary support wheel 1132. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.
[0034] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for protection, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present application without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.
[0035] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.
[0036] Example 1
[0037] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a dual-turntable structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of transfer liquid receiving units arranged in the circumferential direction of the first turntable 10. Currently, in vitro diagnostic technology based on human secretions, excretions, blood, amniotic fluid, nasal swabs, throat swabs, anal swabs, etc. has become an early and rapid diagnosis solution for the subject infected with a certain disease. Due to the advantages of high sensitivity and early detection time, this method has played an increasingly important role in public safety, medical diagnosis, criminal investigation, etc. In the system of Example 1, the transfer liquid receiving unit is a deep-well plate, which is the most commonly used in molecular diagnosis. Using this sample processing system, a nucleic acid extraction reaction system can be automatically established, thereby greatly reducing the amount of manual operation and ensuring the reliability of subsequent test results. The deep-well plate here can be of different capacity types, such as 1mL, 1.5mL, 2mL, 2.5mL, 3mL, etc. The sample processing volume. Of course, the dual-turntable sample processing system including this embodiment can be used as a stand-alone product and then combined with a nucleic acid extraction product to complete a fully automated extraction process, such as with Tianlong Technology's GeneRotex nucleic acid extractor. It can also be used in conjunction with nucleic acid extraction equipment from other companies, which is not limited here. It can also be used as a submodule of an automated analysis device to complete a fully automatic solution from sample addition to final result output, which is not limited here. Here, the first turntable 10 includes multiple receiving parts 101, which can receive deep-well plates of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc. The deep-well plate is the most widely used 96-well 16-sample position structure. In order to be compatible with deep-well plates of different capacities, the multiple receiving parts 101 of the first turntable 10 all include elastic clamping parts 1011, which can be arranged in pairs, and the adjustable characteristics of the elastic parts are used to form openings of different sizes to accommodate deep-well plates of different manufacturers or different models. A second turntable 20 is also provided in the center of the first turntable, and the second turntable includes N consumables receiving racks 201 (where N is an integer not less than 1). The figure shows the case of N=2. In actual use, N can also be 3, 4, 5, etc., which is not limited here. The consumables here are disposable items, the most typical of which are the Tip heads of pipettes. The most commonly used commercial Tip heads are usually made in batches of 96 in boxes. In order to be compatible with the 96-pcs batch commercial model, the second turntable 20 uses a locking portion 2011 to ensure the installation of N corresponding numbers of pipette Tip heads. In order to ensure the reliability of the extraction system, a PK&IC liquid storage portion 110 is set on the periphery of the first turntable 10 to meet the needs of removing nucleases in DNA and RNA preparation and buffering to ensure that the reaction conditions of the reaction liquid do not change too quickly, etc. The specific structure is not limited here.
[0038] Example 2
[0039] Figure 2The present invention provides a schematic cross-sectional view of the dual turntable structure. The rotation of the dual turntables is driven by two independent motors, respectively, so that two different rotation angles and different rotation timing arrangements and even different rotation directions can be adjusted without interference. The first drive motor 11 is connected to the output gear 112 via the output shaft, thereby driving the output gear 112 to rotate. The output gear 112 engages with the drive gear 113 of the first turntable 10. The drive gear 113 can be directly connected to the first turntable 10 through at least one connecting member 114. The two can achieve rotational motion without relative motion, thereby completing the conversion of the rotation transmission of the first drive motor 11 into the rotation of the first turntable 10. In order to ensure that the rotation of the first turntable 10 has the most refined adjustment angle, the drive gear 113 and the output gear 112 adopt a high tooth ratio design. For example, the tooth ratio of the two can range from 3:1 to 10:1. Of course, in one case, the first drive motor 11 can rotate continuously at a predetermined angle each time, such as 60°, 40°, etc. each time, and then pause for a specific time to reserve the time required for pipetting operations, etc., and then continue to rotate, thereby achieving high-precision continuous operation in which the operating hole position of the pipette is basically fixed and the upper and lower sample positions are basically fixed. The second drive motor 21 is connected to the output pulley 211 through the output shaft, and is connected to the drive pulley 213 of the second turntable 20 at the center position through the belt 212. The drive pulley 213 drives the rotating shaft 214 directly connected to the second turntable 20 to rotate, thereby achieving the rotation drive of the second turntable 20 at the center position. The present invention drives the two turntables by using two different transmission methods. The two turntables can run in the same clockwise or counterclockwise direction, or one can run clockwise and the other can run counterclockwise. It can also meet different precision control requirements and adapt to the system's requirements for speed and low cost. The first turntable 10 and the second turntable 20 are basically located on the same horizontal plane, and the central axes of the two turntables basically coincide, which ensures the simplification of the control of the pipette coordinated with the double turntables and ensures the low cost and low complexity of the system.
[0040] Example 3
[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the local optimization design of the gear transmission provided by the present invention. In order to ensure the precise angle control of the first turntable, the driving gear 113 needs to have a high number of teeth. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the driving gear 113 has a sufficient radius. In this way, during long-term operation, the gear meshing may be unreliable or even fail due to radial forces and other effects. Therefore, the high-tooth-count driving gear 113 is supported by no less than two auxiliary support wheels 1131 and 1132, thereby ensuring the reliable operation of the system throughout the service life of the equipment, and achieving a balance between meshing accuracy and operational reliability at a low cost. Combined with Figure 1Optimally, multiple transfer liquid receiving units can be set as six deep-well plate receiving parts, so that 96 samples can be processed at one time when the deep-well plate positions are fully loaded. At the same time, the second turntable in the center contains 2 consumable receiving racks N. In this way, when all the deep-well plates on the outer ring turntable 10 correctly receive the sample liquids in the corresponding well positions, the first turntable 10 completes one circle of rotation, and the Tip head consumables on the corresponding consumable receiving rack are also consumed. At this time, the second turntable 20 can rotate 1 / 2 circle, and the new consumable supply rotates to the original position, so that the pipette picking trajectory does not need to be readjusted. Complex control can be used to start a new pipetting operation, and the used consumable receiving rack can also be reloaded with new consumables. When N is other values, when the first turntable 10 completes one circle of rotation, the second turntable 20 rotates at least 1 / N circle, thus ensuring the continuity of the entire operation process and the rationality of the entire configuration.
[0042] Example 4
[0043] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the movement trajectory of a pipette under a double-turntable structure provided by the present invention. The outer ring is a first turntable 10, on which a plurality of pipetting receiving parts are arranged. The central area of the outer ring is provided with a second turntable 20, which contains N consumable receiving racks. 30 is a pipetting module, which can include 2, 3, 4, etc. pipetting subunits for transferring sample liquids. 401 is an oscillation mixing subunit, which can mix and transport the sample liquid. In the actual pipetting process, the pipette first enters the inner ring area of the second turntable 20 along the first trajectory S10. At this time, the pipette does not carry any used Tip head. This avoids the risk of contamination caused by bringing the used Tip head into the new consumables area. The new pipette Tip head is then picked up by the motion motor. After the picking is completed, the pipette crosses the top area of the pipette receiving part. At this time, since it is an unused Tip head, it will not affect the pipette receiving part. Then it absorbs the sample liquid after the oscillation is completed along the S201 and S202 paths and transfers it to the corresponding hole position of the sample liquid receiving part to complete the pipetting operation. Finally, the pipette moves directly to the consumables recovery hole position with the used Tip head along the S30 path to unload the used Tip head consumables for centralized recycling processing. This cycle can complete all sample liquid transfer operations with low contamination risk. Under this layout, the tracks of the new Tip head and the used Tip head consumables have almost no overlap, which minimizes the risk of cross-contamination. In addition, the movement track of the used Tip head consumables does not involve the central area where the second turntable 20 is located. This also minimizes the risk of cross-contamination between the new and old Tip heads. The Tip head consumable area can maintain a fixed low-contamination risk area. In practice, the pipetting track can also be a merged S20 track, which is not limited here. Of course, after completing the transfer of samples from all the wells of a sample liquid receiving part, the first turntable 10 can be rotated by a predetermined angle so that the new sample liquid receiving part that has not received any sample liquid is rotated to the previous well position. This simplifies the control of the pipette movement track and ensures the accuracy of the pipetting operation. Of course, the internal second turntable 20 can also adopt a similar design so that after the consumables on one sample rack are used up, the second turntable 20 rotates to another preset angle to achieve the switching of the consumable rack, which is not limited here.
[0044] Example 5
[0045] Figure 5The sample liquid pretreatment system of the present invention includes a dual-turntable structure, including a sample tube loading unit 60, which can accommodate a number of sample tubes, such as 96, 192, 288, or 384, for simultaneous processing. A sample tube transfer gripper 50 is used to grab or unload sample tubes from the sample tube receiving portion of the loading unit 60 and place them therein. To ensure that the transferred sample liquid contains sufficient test targets, the sample liquid is typically subjected to proper oscillation and mixing. Many conventional automated systems integrate an oscillation device directly into the loading unit to meet this requirement. However, such a design requires simultaneous oscillation of all sample tubes. In batch processing systems, the loading unit 60 can accommodate a large number of sample tubes, making simultaneous transfer of all tubes impossible. Designing a directly integrated oscillation system would result in high system design costs. Maintaining turbulence also requires high system reliability. Therefore, the present invention does not employ a design in which the oscillation device is integrated into the loading unit 60. The sample liquid pretreatment system can include two or more sample oscillation and mixing submodules 401. The transfer gripper 50 includes a Z-axis up-and-down running track 511 and a Y-axis forward-and-backward running track 512. Of course, it can also include an X-axis left-and-right running track, which is not limited here. In this way, any position in the sample liquid processing system can be covered. The transfer gripper 50 can grab the sample tube in the sample loading unit 60 and transfer it to the oscillation and mixing subunit. The oscillation and mixing subunit can mix the sample liquid according to a predetermined turbulence level. Of course, the transfer gripper 50 can also grab the sample tube from the return oscillation and mixing subunit after the sample liquid is pipetted, thereby returning the pipetted sample tube to the corresponding well position before the sample loading unit 60.
[0046] Example 6
[0047] Combine Figure 7After the oscillation mixing subunit completes the oscillation mixing, it is transported to the bottom of the switch cover unit 100. The oscillation mixing process can be carried out simultaneously during the sample tube transfer movement, or a specific timing can be directly arranged to complete the oscillation mixing process. The switch cover unit 100 includes two switch cover units 1001 and 1002, which are the same number as the sample tubes in the oscillator unit. It includes a switch cover clamp and a tube body fixing clamp that cooperates with the tube body. Of course, it is also possible to adopt a solution of providing a card and a fixing part in the oscillator unit to cooperate with the switch cover clamp. It is not limited to either of the two methods to perform the sample tube opening operation. Of course, the two switch cover units 1001 and 1002 can complete the opening operation of the two sample tubes at the same time, or they can open one sample tube separately and then complete the pipette aspiration operation before opening the other sample tube. After the sample tube is opened, the pipette 30 can perform pipetting operations. Before that, the pipette can complete the operation of picking up the Tip consumables at the second turntable 20 in the center of the double turntable structure. Here, in order to meet the needs of the oscillation mixing sub-unit to quickly transfer the sample liquid, the pipette 30 includes two sub-pipetting units 301 and 302. Further, in order to ensure that the transferred liquid can better adapt to the size characteristics of the pipetting receiving part, the spacing between the two pipetting sub-units can be adjusted, and the spacing range between the two can be 20mm-70mm. The pipette 30 also includes X, Y, and Z axis motion drive mechanisms, and in order to ensure the simplicity, cost reduction and reliability of the system design, the X axis of the pipette and the sample tube transfer fixture share a motion track. The pipette 30 can simultaneously or separately cooperate with the Tip head to absorb the sample liquid in the sample tube, and then move along the central area where the second turntable 20 is not located to the top of the corresponding hole position of the deep-well plate that receives the sample liquid, and then simultaneously or separately discharge the transferred sample liquid to the corresponding hole position of the deep-well plate to complete the transfer. After use, the sample tube is re-covered by the switch cover module, and the oscillation mixing sub-unit transports and unloads the sample tube. The pipette also moves along a trajectory that does not infect the central area to the unloading hole position to unload the Tip head. Of course, before pipetting, the pipette can first transfer an appropriate amount of PK&IC liquid from the PK&IC storage unit 110 to the corresponding hole position to achieve the reliability of the extraction system. In this way, since the liquid is a relatively universal reagent, it will not affect the subsequent transfer of sample liquid, ensuring the simplicity of the pipetting system design.
[0048] Example 7
[0049] Figure 6 The sample liquid processing system from another perspective includes a sample information acquisition unit 70, which can identify the barcode, QR code, RFID and other identification of the sample tube, for example, Figure 7The switch cover device in the sample tube is used to identify and obtain sample information. The switch cover device can grab the sample tube and place the sample tube within the field of view of the information acquisition unit 70. The switch cover drives the sample tube to rotate to identify the corresponding information of the sample. Of course, other schemes can also be used to complete the acquisition of sample information, which is not limited here. After the pipette completes pipetting, the used consumable Tip head is unloaded at the consumable receiving hole 801, and a Tip head consumable recovery position is set at the front of the pre-treatment system, in which a drawer-like design can be used to recycle the discarded Tip heads that have been used for subsequent centralized processing, which also ensures the low contamination risk of the system. The pre-treatment system also includes an ultraviolet sterilization unit 90, so as to ensure the cleanliness of the operating environment during the processing process, and cooperate with the basic fully automated operation to minimize the contamination risk of the entire sample processing process. It can also be set in the Tip recovery drawer to sterilize and disinfect the used Tip heads.
[0050] Example 8
[0051] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of a sample processing system with a dual turntable structure provided by the present invention. It can be divided into four basic sub-functional units, including the sample loading unit U01 functional module, which is mainly responsible for the detection of sample loading and whether the sample loading is in place, etc. It includes a sample input unit 60 (also called a loading unit) to receive batch input sample tubes and sample racks, which can include a number of in-place sensors located at different positions, which can be photoelectric or mechanical types, which are not limited here. When the in-place sensor is detected, the sample loading unit U01 is ready. The transfer unit U02 functional module is mainly responsible for the transfer operation of the sample tube. This part plays the role of a bridge before pipetting. It includes a sample tube clamp 50 for transferring new sample tubes into the oscillator unit 40, or removing the sample tube that has completed pipetting from the oscillator unit 40. The oscillator unit can have both the functions of conveying and oscillating mixing. The pipetting unit U03 functional module is mainly used to complete the transfer of the sample liquid after identifying and obtaining the sample liquid information. It includes a barcode scanning subunit 70, which can obtain sample information on the one hand and verify whether the system has the correct reagent to receive the sample liquid on the other hand. The switch cover unit 100 also includes two basic functions: 1) opening or closing the cover of the sample tube; 2) assisting the barcode scanning subunit 70 to obtain sample tube information. The pipetting module 30 can include multiple sub-pipettes to aspirate the sample liquid and discharge it to the target well. The system establishment unit U04 functional module is a unit in which the system establishment of subsequent operations is completed, such as the extraction system establishment in this system. It includes a double turntable unit, covering the deep well plate carrying turntable located on the outer ring first turntable 10 and the consumables rack receiving part located on the center inner ring second turntable 20, and other trace reagent storage subunits 110 that need to be added during the reaction process. In this embodiment, it can be the PK&IC liquid required for the extraction process, which is not limited here.
[0052] Example 9
[0053] Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the operation flow of a sample processing system provided by the present invention. As the system is turned on, the operation program of the entire sample processing system begins to execute. The loading unit receives the sample tube rack added manually or transferred from the cold storage part by an automated robotic arm, thereby completing the step of loading the sample tube into the receiving part. Several sensors are set inside the loading unit to detect whether the sample tube rack is loaded in place and whether it is loaded correctly. After correct loading, the sample tube is clamped by the sample tube clamp and transferred to the oscillator unit for sufficient mixing. After that, the opening and closing cover mechanism can cooperate with the sample tube identification part to identify and obtain the sample tube information. On the one hand, the acquired barcode information is used to establish data information of the detection object, including but not limited to the object identity, the type of detection disease, sample status information, and whether expedited processing is required, etc. On the other hand, the sample tube barcode information is verified, including but not limited to sample test item verification, whether the system experiment-related reagents are correct, and whether the sample liquid is correctly collected, etc. After the verification is completed, if the sample tube matches the collection correctly and the system reagents are sufficient, the subsequent steps can be carried out. The established database information can also be transmitted to other cooperating devices through, for example, a local area network. If it is not satisfied, a warning message will be generated. In some cases, the system can continue to operate and only generate an alarm signal. In some cases, an alarm signal is generated under conditions that the system itself cannot solve. At this time, the operator can perform intervention to solve it. Of course, the above-mentioned code scanning and identification steps can be arranged before the sample liquid oscillation and mixing step. After the information acquisition and verification are completed, the switch cover unit performs the cover opening operation. During this period or before, the pipette picks up the Tip head consumables at the center position of the inner ring, and performs the sample liquid transfer step along the pipetting path in the open state, and transfers the sample liquid to the sample liquid receiving part, which can be the corresponding well position of the deep well plate. After the transfer, the sample tube performs the cover closing operation, and the oscillation and mixing unit transports it to the unloading position, and then it is transferred back to the initial position. After the sample liquid transfer is completed, the pipette runs to the Tip head consumable recovery well position, unloads the used Tip head consumables to complete the transfer of the sample liquid. Of course, the dual turntable structure of the present invention can also be used in a fully automated sample analysis system to complete sample liquid processing analysis and final result output under conditions of low contamination risk, which is not limited here.
[0054] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. The foregoing embodiments and descriptions are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A sample processing device with a dual turntable structure, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first turntable (10), wherein a plurality of transfer liquid receiving units are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first turntable (10), a second turntable (20) is provided at the center of the first turntable (10), and N consumable receiving racks (201) are arranged on the second turntable (20); and further comprises a pipetting module (30), wherein the pipetting module (30) comprises at least one pipetting sub-unit, and the pipetting module (30) takes and installs at least one consumable on a consumable receiving rack (201) of the second turntable (20), and performs sample liquid transfer or consumable unloading in an area outside the second turntable (20); and a tip head of a pipette is connected to the consumable receiving rack (201) via a second engaging portion (2011).
2. The sample processing device with a dual turntable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer liquid receiving unit comprises a receiving portion (101), and the receiving portion (101) is connected to a deep-well plate via a first clamping portion (1011).
3. The sample processing device with a dual turntable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first turntable (10) and the second turntable (20) have independent driving structures, so that the two turntables can rotate independently.
4. The sample processing device with a dual turntable structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first turntable (10) is driven by a first motor through a meshing gear pair, and the second turntable (20) is driven by a second motor through a pulley.
5. The sample processing device with a dual turntable structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The meshing gear pair is a configuration of low tooth count and high tooth count.
6. The sample processing device with a dual turntable structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The high-tooth-count gear is supported by no less than two auxiliary support wheels.
7. The sample processing device with a dual turntable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first turntable and the second turntable are located on the same horizontal plane, and the central axes of the two turntables substantially coincide with each other.
8. The sample processing device with a dual turntable structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the first turntable (10) completes one rotation, the second turntable (20) rotates no less than 1 / N of a rotation.
9. The sample processing device with a dual turntable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the transfer liquid receiving units is 6, and the number N of the consumable material receiving racks (201) is 2.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
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