Low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom fiber optic system for PCR fluorescence detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber light guide systems, and provides an optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection with low loss and high degree of freedom, comprising an optical fiber bundle consisting of a main bundle, multiple branch bundles and a splitter. An elastic limit sleeve is provided at the connection between the branch bundle and the splitter, and the elastic limit sleeve is fixed on the splitter. The elastic limit sleeve comprises a first segment, a second segment and a third segment, the flexibility of which decreases successively from the main bundle to the branch bundle, and the flexibility of the third segment is the same as that of the branch bundle. By arranging the elastic limit sleeve at the connection between the main bundle and the branch bundle, the flexibility of the elastic limit sleeve is arranged in sections, and gradually becomes softer from the main bundle to the branch bundle, so that a larger bending space can be provided for the branch bundle, and the situation of local excessive bending of the elastic limit sleeve can be avoided. In addition, the structure of the elastic limit sleeve is relatively light, and the branch bundle can have a higher degree of freedom.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber light guides, and in particular to an optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection with low loss and high degree of freedom. Background Art

[0002] Existing fluorescence quantitative PCR detection devices generally use a single light source plus filters and a rotating disk as the light source for multi-wavelength excitation, simultaneously achieving multi-channel transmission and detection. The general device has multiple optical modules, which provide multiple "channels" for optical detection of multiple different dyes. These optical modules excite different areas of the rotating disk at any given time and collect fluorescence energy of different wavelengths emitted by the dyes.

[0003] The fiber optic bundle used for PCR detection generally includes multiple optical fibers placed side by side and combined at the ends with a flexible protective sheath. The optical module is connected to a branch of the fiber optic bundle. The branched optical fibers form a flexible mechanism that allows the optical module to receive fluorescent signals without losing sensitivity. However, the branched optical fibers need to be flexible and bend-resistant. Existing branched optical fibers are prone to signal loss or breakage due to excessive bending when frequently active. The fiber optic bundle with a gooseneck tube is heavier, which increases the load on the mechanism and affects its flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a low-loss and high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection, comprising an optical fiber bundle consisting of a main bundle, a plurality of branch bundles, and a splitter;

[0005] a bus bundle configured to be connected to the detector;

[0006] A plurality of branch harnesses are arranged to be connected to an optical module for collecting fluorescent energy;

[0007] An optical splitter is provided between the main wiring harness and the branch wiring harness, and is used to optically couple the main wiring harness with the branch wiring harness;

[0008] Among them, an elastic limit sleeve is provided at the connection between the branch wiring harness and the splitter, and the elastic limit sleeve is fixed on the splitter. The elastic limit sleeve includes a first segment, a second segment and a third segment, whose flexibility decreases successively from the main wiring harness to the branch wiring harness. The flexibility of the third segment is the same as that of the branch wiring harness.

[0009] Preferably, the elastic limiting sleeve is configured as an elastic sleeve made of rubber or silicone, and the thickness of the elastic sleeve decreases in sequence from the first sleeve segment, the second sleeve segment and the third sleeve segment.

[0010] Preferably, the elastic limiting sleeve is configured as a spring tube, and the pitch of the spring tube increases sequentially from the first segment, the second segment and the third segment.

[0011] Preferably, the cross section of the spring tube is set to be rectangular or circular.

[0012] Preferably, the length ratio of the first set segment, the second set segment and the third set segment is 2:5:3.

[0013] Preferably, the length of the elastic limiting sleeve is 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the length of the branch wiring harness.

[0014] Preferably, the inner diameter of the elastic limiting sleeve is the same as the outer diameter of the branch wiring harness.

[0015] Preferably, the number of branch wiring harnesses is four or more.

[0016] Preferably, the bus harness or the branch harness includes an optical fiber core, a filling layer and a jacket layer, the jacket layer is coated on the outside of the optical fiber core, and the filling layer is filled between the optical fiber core and the jacket layer.

[0017] Preferably, the filling layer comprises aramid yarn.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0019] The present invention provides an elastic limit sleeve at the connection between the main harness and the branch harness. The flexibility of the elastic limit sleeve is set in sections, and gradually becomes softer from the main harness to the branch harness. This can provide a larger bending space for the branch harness and avoid the situation where the elastic limit sleeve is locally excessively bent. In addition, the structure of the elastic limit sleeve is relatively light, which can enable the branch harness to have a higher degree of freedom. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in various figures may be represented by the same reference numeral. For the sake of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. Embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a partially enlarged structure of an elastic limiting sleeve of a low-loss and high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the AA direction;

[0024] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of a partially enlarged structure of an elastic limiting sleeve in a low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the optical fiber bundle in the optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection with low loss and high degree of freedom shown in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to better understand the technical content of the present invention, specific embodiments are given and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Since the current branch optical fibers are prone to excessive bending at the branching points, and installing a gooseneck tube will increase the weight, the present invention aims to provide a lightweight protective mechanism to prevent the branch optical fibers from excessive bending and maintain the flexibility of the branch optical fibers.

[0028] Combine Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a low-loss and high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection, comprising an optical fiber bundle 1 consisting of a main bundle 10, a plurality of branch bundles 20, and a spectrometer 30. The main bundle 10 is connected to a detector.

[0029] Among them, multiple branch harnesses 20 are arranged to be connected to an optical module for collecting fluorescent energy, and a spectrometer 30 is arranged between the main harness 10 and the branch harness 20, and is used to optically couple the main harness 10 with the branch harness 20, thereby performing PCR fluorescence detection.

[0030] In conjunction with the illustrated embodiment, an elastic limiting sleeve 2 is provided at the connection between the branch wiring harness 20 and the optical splitter 30 , and the elastic limiting sleeve 2 is fixed on the optical splitter 30 .

[0031] Among them, the elastic limit sleeve 2 includes a first section 21, a second section 22 and a third section 23 whose flexibility decreases successively from the main harness 10 to the branch harness 20. The flexibility of the third section 23 is the same as that of the branch harness 20.

[0032] In an optional embodiment, the length ratio of the first segment 21 , the second segment 22 and the third segment 23 is 2:5:3.

[0033] The middle second section 22 accounts for half of the total length, which can provide a larger bending space for the branch wiring harness 20 and protect the branch wiring harness 20 from excessive bending, thereby making the branch wiring harness 20 more flexible.

[0034] In an optional embodiment, the elastic limiting sleeve 2 is configured as an elastic sleeve made of rubber or silicone.

[0035] In particular, combined with Figure 4In the embodiment shown, the thickness of the elastic sleeve is designed to decrease in sequence from the first sleeve section 21, the second sleeve section 22 and the third sleeve section 23, so as to meet the purpose of successively decreasing flexibility of the three sections. The flexibility of the third sleeve section 23 is the same as that of the branch harness 20.

[0036] Therefore, when the branch harness 20 bends, the third segment 23 bends first, and as the bending progresses, it gradually bends toward the second segment 22 and the first segment 21, making the bending area of ​​the branch harness 20 longer, avoiding local excessive bending, and protecting the internal optical fiber core 11. In addition, the elastic sleeve of rubber or silicone is light in weight, easy to install, and will not increase the load.

[0037] Combine Figure 2 As shown, in another embodiment, the elastic limiting sleeve 2 is configured as a plastic spring tube.

[0038] The pitch of the spring tube increases sequentially from the first segment 21, the second segment 22, and the third segment 23. That is, the pitch of the first segment 21 is greater than the pitch of the second segment 22, and the pitch of the second segment 22 is greater than the pitch of the third segment 23. As a result, the flexibility of the spring tube decreases sequentially from the first segment 21 to the second segment 22 and the third segment 23. The configuration ensures that the flexibility of the third segment 23 is the same as that of the branch harness 20. Thus, when the branch harness 20 bends, the bending radius gradually increases as the bendability of the spring tube increases. This protects the branch harness 20, prevents it from being excessively bent, and maintains a low-loss state for the optical fiber core 11. The corresponding plastic spring tube is lightweight, enabling the branch harness 20 to have a high degree of freedom.

[0039] Furthermore, the cross section of the spring tube is set to be rectangular or circular. Among them, the spring tube with a rectangular cross section has a better fitting effect with the branch wire harness 20.

[0040] In a further embodiment, the length of the elastic limit sleeve 2 is 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the length of the branch harness 20, and the inner diameter of the elastic limit sleeve 2 is the same as the outer diameter of the branch harness 20, so that the elastic limit sleeve 2 can limit the bending part of the branch harness 20 to avoid excessive bending of the branch harness 20, which may cause damage to the internal optical fiber core 11, and the elastic limit sleeve 2 fits the outer wall of the branch harness 20, making the overall structure of the optical fiber bundle more compact.

[0041] In an optional embodiment, the number of branch harnesses 20 can be adapted to the detection equipment and configured according to the sample group. Figure 1 In this example, four examples are used for explanation. Figure 3 In the example shown, seven branch harnesses 20 are provided, so that when performing PCR fluorescence detection, seven groups of samples can be detected simultaneously.

[0042] Combine Figure 5 As shown, the optical fiber harnesses of the main harness 10 or the branch harness 20 each include an optical fiber core 11 , a filling layer 12 and a jacket layer 13 .

[0043] The inner core of the optical fiber core 11 is made of low-loss high-purity quartz glass fiber, and the outer side is covered with a cladding made of silica doped material, so that the refractive index of the cladding is much lower than the refractive index of the core. The minimum loss of the core is about 0.47db / km, which has a high transmission rate.

[0044] The sheath layer 13 is coated on the outside of the optical fiber core 11 and is formed by extrusion of polyethylene plastic.

[0045] The filling layer 12 is filled between the optical fiber core 11 and the jacket layer 13. In a preferred embodiment, the filling layer 12 is made of aramid yarn. Aramid yarn has special properties such as low density, very high tensile modulus, high breaking strength and low breaking elongation, and has a good protective effect on the optical fiber core 11.

[0046] In combination with the above embodiments, in the design of the optical fiber system for PCR detection proposed by the present invention, an elastic limit sleeve 2 is provided at the connection between the main bundle 10 and the branch bundle 20, and the flexibility of the elastic limit sleeve 2 is set in segments, gradually softening from the main bundle 10 toward the branch bundle 20, which can provide a larger bending space for the branch bundle 20 and avoid the situation of local excessive bending of the elastic limit sleeve 2. In addition, the structure of the elastic limit sleeve 2 is relatively light, which can enable the branch bundle 20 to have a higher degree of freedom.

[0047] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the present invention. Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection, comprising an optical fiber bundle (1), characterized in that: The optical fiber harness (1) comprises: A bus bundle (10) is configured to be connected to the detector; A plurality of branch wire harnesses (20) are arranged to be connected to an optical module for collecting fluorescent energy; An optical splitter (30) is disposed between the main wiring harness (10) and the branch wiring harness (20), and is used to optically couple the main wiring harness (10) and the branch wiring harness (20); Wherein, an elastic limiting sleeve (2) is sleeved at the connection between the branch wiring harness (20) and the optical splitter (30), the elastic limiting sleeve (2) is fixed on the optical splitter (30), and the elastic limiting sleeve (2) comprises a first segment (21), a second segment (22), and a third segment (23) whose flexibility decreases in sequence from the main wiring harness (10) to the branch wiring harness (20), and the flexibility of the third segment (23) is the same as that of the branch wiring harness (20); The elastic limiting sleeve (2) is fitted with the outer wall of the branch wiring harness (20), and the elastic limiting sleeve (2) is configured as an elastic sleeve made of rubber or silicone, and the thickness of the elastic sleeve decreases in sequence from the first sleeve section (21), the second sleeve section (22), and the third sleeve section (23); Or the elastic limiting sleeve (2) is configured as a spring tube, and the pitch of the spring tube increases sequentially from the first sleeve segment (21), the second sleeve segment (22), and the third sleeve segment (23); The length of the elastic limiting sleeve (2) is 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the length of the branch wiring harness (20).

2. The low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross section of the spring tube is configured to be rectangular or circular.

3. The low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length ratio of the first set segment (21), the second set segment (22) and the third set segment (23) is 2:5:

3.

4. The low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the elastic limiting sleeve (2) is the same as the outer diameter of the branch wiring harness (20).

5. The low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The number of branch wiring harnesses (20) is four or more.

6. The low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main harness (10) or the branch harness (20) comprises an optical fiber core (11), a filling layer (12) and a jacket layer (13), wherein the jacket layer (13) is coated on the outside of the optical fiber core (11), and the filling layer (12) is filled between the optical fiber core (11) and the jacket layer (13).

7. The low-loss, high-degree-of-freedom optical fiber system for PCR fluorescence detection according to claim 6, characterized in that: The filling layer (12) comprises aramid yarn.

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