Sample analyzers, sample analysis methods, and computer-readable storage media

Abstract

A sample analyzer (100) includes a transport device (10), a sampling device (20), and a control device (30). The control device (30) is electrically connected to the transport device (10) and the sampling device (20), and is configured to control the transport device (30) to transport a sample container (200) to a sampling position. Then, it controls a motor (22) to operate with a first driving current to drive a sampling needle (21) downwards into the sample container (200) to a predetermined height. Afterwards, it controls the motor (22) to operate with a second driving current less than the first driving current to drive the sampling needle (21) to continue downwards to the bottom of the cavity of the sample container (200) to collect the sample to be tested. The first driving current ensures that the sampling needle (21) pierces the cap of the sample container (200), while the second driving current ensures that the sampling needle (21) does not damage the bottom of the cavity of the sample container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a sample analyzer, a sample analysis method, and a computer-readable storage medium for performing the method. Background Technology

[0002] Sample analyzers, such as blood sample analyzers, are instruments used to analyze and test samples of blood, urine, and bodily fluids (ascites, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural effusion, etc.) collected from patients. During operation, the sample analyzer's sampling needle is inserted into a test tube containing the sample to be tested to aspirate it. Typically, test tubes used for venous blood have caps to seal the opening. Therefore, when sampling from capped tubes, the sample analyzer's sampling needle usually requires considerable force to pierce the cap and penetrate into the lumen of the sample container. However, to ensure the most complete aspiration of the sample, the sampling needle usually needs to be moved close to the bottom of the test tube. Therefore, excessive force may damage or puncture the bottom of the test tube upon contact. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a sample analyzer, a sample analysis method, and a computer-readable storage medium for performing the method. By changing the operating current of the motor to drive the sampling needle into the sample container, damage to the bottom of the sample container can be avoided while ensuring the sampling needle pierces the cap. Furthermore, controlling the motor using a drive chip with motor stall detection function also reduces the risk of damage to the sampling needle and the test tube sample container.

[0004] The first aspect of the present invention provides a sample analyzer, comprising:

[0005] A transport device used to transport a sample container containing the sample to be tested to the sampling position;

[0006] A sampling device includes a sampling needle and a motor for driving the sampling needle to move down into the sample container to collect the loaded sample to be tested;

[0007] A control device, electrically connected to the conveying device and the sampling device, and configured to:

[0008] The transport device is controlled to transport the sample container to the sampling position.

[0009] The motor is controlled to operate with a first drive current to drive the sampling needle downwards and extend it into the sample container located at the sampling position until it reaches a predetermined height above the bottom of the sample container's cavity.

[0010] After the sampling needle moves down to the predetermined height, the motor is controlled to operate with a second driving current less than the first driving current, so as to drive the sampling needle to continue moving down until the bottom of the sample container cavity is reached to collect the sample to be tested.

[0011] A second aspect of the present invention provides another sample analyzer, comprising:

[0012] A transport device used to transport a sample container containing the sample to be tested to the sampling position;

[0013] A sampling device includes a sampling needle and a motor for driving the sampling needle to move down into the sample container to collect the loaded sample to be tested;

[0014] A control device, electrically connected to and configured to control the operation of the conveying device and the sampling device, includes a drive chip with a motor stall detection function. The drive chip is configured to control the motor to drive the sampling needle to move and to monitor whether the motor stalls while controlling the motor.

[0015] A third aspect of the present invention also provides a sample analyzer, comprising:

[0016] A transport device used to transport a sample container containing the sample to be tested to the sampling position;

[0017] A sampling device includes a sampling needle and a motor for driving the sampling needle to move down into the sample container to collect the loaded sample to be tested;

[0018] A control device, electrically connected to and configured with respect to the conveying device and the sampling device, is used for:

[0019] The transport device is controlled to transport the sample container to the sampling position.

[0020] With a predetermined downward movement height as the target, the motor is controlled to drive the sampling needle downward and extend it into the sample container located at the sampling position.

[0021] When controlling the motor to move the sampling needle downwards with the target downward height, monitor whether the motor stalls, so as to determine whether the sampling needle contacts the bottom of the sample container cavity before moving down to the target downward height;

[0022] When it is determined that the motor is stalled, the motor is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a first amount of sample from the sample container;

[0023] When it is determined that the motor has not stalled and the sampling needle has moved down to the predetermined downward height, the motor is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a second amount of sample from the sample container, the second amount being different from the first amount.

[0024] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a sample analysis method, comprising the following steps:

[0025] The control and transport device transports the sample container containing the sample to be tested to the sampling position;

[0026] The control motor operates with a first drive current to drive the sampling needle to move downward and extend into the sample container located at the sampling position until it reaches a first predetermined height above the bottom of the cavity of the sample container;

[0027] After the sampling needle moves down to the predetermined height, the motor is controlled to operate with a second driving current less than the first driving current, so as to drive the sampling needle to continue moving down until the bottom of the sample container cavity is reached to collect the sample to be tested.

[0028] The fifth aspect of this invention provides another sample analysis method, comprising the following steps:

[0029] The control and transport device transports the sample container containing the sample to be tested to the sampling position;

[0030] With a predetermined downward movement height as the target, the motor is controlled to drive the sampling needle downward and extend it into the sample container located at the sampling position;

[0031] When controlling the motor to move the sampling needle downwards with the target downward height, monitor whether the motor stalls, so as to determine whether the sampling needle contacts the bottom of the sample container cavity before moving down to the target downward height;

[0032] When it is determined that the motor is stalled, the motor is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a first amount of sample from the sample container;

[0033] When it is determined that the motor has not stalled and the sampling needle has moved down to the predetermined downward height, the motor is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a second amount of sample from the sample container, the second amount being different from the first amount.

[0034] A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions configured to cause a processor to execute the executable instructions to implement the sample analysis methods of the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention described above.

[0035] Through various aspects of this invention, the risk of damage to the sampling needle or sample container due to excessive current during the sampling process where the motor always drives the sampling needle to move down and take samples is reduced or even avoided, thus ensuring the safe operation of the sample analyzer. Attached Figure Description

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 This is a partial internal structure diagram of a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a transport device in a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a sampling device in a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the working scenario of the sampling device in a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the motor in a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the comparison between motor speed and back electromotive force in a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the framework of another sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the framework of another sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figures 11 to 13 This is a flowchart of a sample analysis method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 14 This is a flowchart of a sample analysis method according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the framework of a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first" and "second," are merely used to distinguish the described objects and do not have any sequential or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this invention, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages). In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention.

[0052] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0053] Please see Figure 1 The sample analyzer 100 shown is an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 and Figure 3The diagram shows the external appearance and partial internal structure of the sample analyzer 100. The sample analyzer 100 includes a transport device 10, a sampling device 20, and a control device 30. The control device 30 is electrically connected to both the transport device 10 and the sampling device 20, and is used to control the coordinated movement of the transport device 10 and the sampling device 20 to achieve the sampling operation. Specifically, the control device 30 controls the transport device 10 to transport the sample rack 300 along the X1 direction, and causes the sample container 200 (see [reference]) placed on the sample rack 300 to move. Figure 6 The sample is fed into the sampling position of the sample analyzer 100. The sample container 200 contains the sample to be tested. Then, the control device 30 also controls the sampling device 20 to sample the sample container 200 located at the sampling position. In this embodiment of the invention, the sample analyzer 100 is, for example, a blood analyzer for obtaining routine blood parameters. In other embodiments, the sample analyzer 100 may also be a specific protein analyzer, such as a CRP analyzer or a SAA analyzer, or a slide staining machine (also known as a blood smear preparation device).

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, the transport device 10 includes a sample rack support component 11, a sample rack feeding device 12, a sample rack lateral transport device 13, and a sample rack dispensing device 14. The sample rack support component 11 includes a pre-analytical sample rack storage area 111 for holding a plurality of sample racks 300 containing sample containers 200 for pre-analytical samples, a post-analytical sample rack storage area 112 for holding a plurality of sample racks 300 containing post-analytical samples, and a sample analysis area 113 located between the pre-analytical sample rack storage area 111 and the post-analytical sample rack storage area 112. A sample rack feeding turning area 111a is provided on the side of the pre-analytical sample rack storage area 111 near the sample analysis area 113, and a sample rack dispensing turning area 112a is provided on the side of the post-analytical sample rack storage area 112 near the sample analysis area 113. The sample rack feeding device 12 can transport the sample rack 300 to the sample rack feeding turning area 111a along the Y2 direction, the sample rack transverse transport device 13 can transport the sample rack 300 on the sample analysis area 113 along the X1 direction, and the sample rack delivery device 14 can transport the sample rack 300 out from the sample rack delivery turning area 112a along the Y1 direction.

[0055] See Figure 5 The sampling device 20 includes a sampling needle 21 and a motor 22 for driving the sampling needle 21 downward. The control device 30 controls the motor 22 to drive the sampling needle 21 downward toward the sample container 200 placed at the sampling position, and inserts it into the sample container 200 to perform the sampling operation. In the sample analyzer 100 provided in this embodiment of the invention, the control device 30 makes the motor 22 operate with at least two different drive currents during the operation of the motor 22.

[0056] Please see Figure 6 When the sampling needle 21 is in the initial position, such as Figure 6 When the sample needle 21 is at position A or higher, the control device 30 starts controlling the motor 22 to operate with the first drive current and drive the sample needle 21 to move down to the predetermined height. Figure 6 Position B in the diagram shows that the sample container 200 includes a tube 210 with a cavity 230 for loading the sample to be tested and a cap 220 for sealing the cavity 230. The cap 220 is located at the top of the tube 210 near the sampling needle 21. If the sampling needle 21 is to be inserted into the cavity of the tube 210 for sampling, it needs to pierce the cap 220 before it can continue to move downwards. However, the driving force required to pierce the cap 220 is relatively large, so the motor 22 needs to operate with a large initial driving current so that the sampling needle 21 can pierce the cap 220 with sufficient force. At the same time, the predetermined height to which the sampling needle 21 moves downwards needs to be set so that the tip of the sampling needle 21 completely passes through the cap 220 and the tip of the sampling needle 21 has not yet contacted the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200, so that the sampling needle 21 can continue to move downwards under the drive of the motor 22.

[0057] After the sampling needle 21 moves down to the predetermined height, the control device 30 controls the motor 22, which can then drive the sampling needle 21 to continue moving down to near the bottom 240 of the sample container 200 with a second driving current less than the first driving current. Figure 6 The sampling needle 21 is positioned at position C or D in the sample container 200 to collect the sample to be tested. In order to ensure that the sampling needle 21 can effectively collect the sample to be tested and to completely aspirate the sample to be tested from the sample container 200, the sampling needle 21 needs to be controlled to move down to a position close to or in contact with the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200, so as to ensure that the tip of the sampling needle 21 can reliably aspirate the sample to be tested from the sample container 200.

[0058] However, given the control precision of the control device 30, or the influence of the driving precision of the motor 22 on the sampling needle 21, when the motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to move down to near the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200, the sampling needle 21 may come into contact with the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200. Figure 6 (position D); or the motor 22 can also directly drive the sampling needle 21 to move down to contact the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200. Figure 6(Position C) and then perform the sampling operation. At this time, because the operating current of the motor 22 is a second driving current that is smaller than the first driving current, the impact formed on the sample container 200 when the sampling needle 21 contacts the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200 is lower than the impact formed when the motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to move down to contact the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200 with the first driving current. In some embodiments, the second driving current can be significantly smaller than the first driving current, so that when the motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to contact the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200 with the second driving current, the impact force formed by the sampling needle 21 on the sample container 200 is significantly reduced.

[0059] Therefore, the sample analyzer 100 of the present invention, through the control device 30, controls the motor 22 so that the motor 22 first operates with a larger first driving current, driving the sampling needle 21 down into the cavity 230 of the sample container 200, ensuring that the sampling needle 21 pierces the cap 220; then the motor 22 operates with a smaller second driving current, so that the sampling needle 21 continues to move down to the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200. While effectively completing the sampling operation, the impact of the sampling needle 21 on the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200 is reduced, thereby reducing or even directly avoiding the possible damage to the sample container 200 caused by the sampling needle 21, or the possible damage to the sampling needle 21 itself.

[0060] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the sample analyzer 100 may further include a sample preparation device 40 and a detection device 50. The sample preparation device 40 provides a reaction site for the sample to be tested and the processing reagents collected by the sampling device 20 to prepare a sample solution to be tested. The detection device 50 is used to detect the sample solution to be tested. The control device 30 is also electrically connected to the sample preparation device 40 and the detection device 50 respectively to control them, so as to complete the entire operation process of the sample analyzer 100 from transporting the sample to collecting the sample, preparing the sample solution and finally detecting the sample solution.

[0061] Understandably, when the top opening of the sample container 200 is equipped with a sealing cap 220, the first drive current of the motor 22 needs to be designed to match the cap 220. This ensures that when the motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to a predetermined height with the first drive current, the sampling needle 21 can pierce the cap 220 and extend into the sample container 220. Specifically, the setting of the first drive current also needs to consider the materials of both the cap 220 and the sampling needle 21, ensuring that when the motor 22 operates with the first drive current, the sampling needle 21 can smoothly pierce the cap 220 and extend into the cavity 230 of the sample container 200. For example, when the sealing caps 220 on different sample containers 200 on the sample holder are made of different materials, the material of the cap 220 with the highest hardness is used as a reference to design the value of the first drive current. In some embodiments, a puncture area can be provided on the cap 220 to facilitate needle puncture, thereby reducing the first drive current.

[0062] On the other hand, the second driving current also needs to be designed to match the material of the tube 210 of the sample container 200 to ensure that the motor 22 will not puncture the sample container 200 when driving the sampling needle 21 to move down to the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200 with the second driving current. Specifically, the setting of the second driving current should take into account both the material of the sample container 200 and the material of the sampling needle 21, so as to ensure that the sampling needle 21 will not puncture the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200 when the motor 22 operates with the second driving current. For example, when the tube 210 of different sample containers 200 on the sample holder has different materials, the material of the tube 210 with the lowest hardness should be used as a reference to design the value of the second driving current.

[0063] In some embodiments, the predetermined height is set such that the distance between the tip of the sampling needle 21 and the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200 located at the sampling position is at least 1 / 3 of the cavity height of the sample container 200. That is, when the motor 22 operates with the first drive current, it drives the sampling needle 21 to move downward until the distance between the tip of the sampling needle 21 and the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200 is at least 1 / 3 of the cavity height of the sample container 200. This setting allows the sampling needle 21 to have sufficient buffer distance for control during the subsequent operation of the motor 22 with the second drive current and driving the sampling needle 21 to move downward.

[0064] In some embodiments, the sample analyzer 100 further includes a parameter setting device (not shown) electrically connected to the control device 30, for setting at least one parameter among a first drive current, a second drive current, and a predetermined height. The parameter setting device is, for example, located on the display interface of the sample analyzer 100. The user can manually set the appropriate first drive current, second drive current, and predetermined height based on the cavity height and material of the sample container they are using.

[0065] In some embodiments, the control device 30 is configured to monitor whether the motor 22 stalls when the control motor 22 is operating with a second drive current, in order to determine whether the sampling needle 21 has moved down to contact the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200. When it is determined that the sampling needle 21 has contacted the bottom 240 of the cavity of the sample container 200, the motor 22 is stopped, thereby further reducing the risk that the sampling needle 21 will puncture the bottom of the cavity of the sample container or be damaged. These embodiments are particularly suitable for situations where different sample containers are mixed on the sample holder 300. For example, in Figure 6 In this system, sample container 200 may include a constant sample container 201 and a micro sample container 202, corresponding to the loading of different amounts of constant and micro samples. That is, the constant sample container 201 can hold a larger amount of sample than the micro sample container 202. Taking blood samples as an example, venous blood (i.e., constant samples) is usually suitable for adult patients, while for infants, children, or critically ill patients, it is sometimes difficult to collect blood via veins. In such cases, capillary blood (i.e., micro samples) is often required. The blood volume for constant samples is relatively large (≥1 mL), while the blood volume for micro samples is relatively small (mostly ≤100 μL). Due to the difference in blood volume between constant samples (venous blood) and micro samples (capillary blood), the constant sample container 201 used to load constant samples and the micro sample container 202 used to load micro samples are also different. Therefore, the cavity height of the micro sample container 202 is smaller than that of the constant sample container 201. The constant sample container 201 is usually placed directly on the sample rack 300, while the micro sample container 202 is usually placed on the sample rack 300 through a support provided at the bottom of the micro sample container 202 (which is integral with or separate from the micro sample container). Thus, when a sample rack is loaded with both micro sample container 202 and constant sample container 201, the bottom 240 of the cavity of the micro sample container 202 is farther from the bottom of the sample rack than the bottom 240 of the cavity of the constant sample container 201. In other words, the constant sample container 201 usually has a relatively long cavity height and is equipped with a cap 220. When the sampling needle 21 moves down to the bottom of the cavity of the constant sample container 201 to sample, the sampling needle 21 is located close to the bottom of the cavity of the constant sample container 201. However, the micro sample container 202 usually has a shorter cavity height, may not be equipped with a cap 220, and contains less sample. In order to obtain as much sample as possible from the micro sample container 202, when the sampling needle 21 moves down to the bottom of the cavity of the micro sample container 202 to sample, the sampling needle 21 is almost in contact with the bottom of the cavity of the micro sample container 202.

[0066] For the constant sample container 201 on the sample holder 300, when the motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to move down to the first predetermined height (B) with the first driving current, it can ensure that the sampling needle 21 can successfully pierce the cap 220; then, when the motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to move down with the second driving current, the sampling needle moves down to the second predetermined height (D) where the needle tip is close to but does not contact the bottom of the cavity of the constant sample container 201. For the micro sample container 202 on the sample holder 300, when the motor drives the sampling needle 21 to move down to the first predetermined height with the first driving current, it will not affect the smooth movement of the sampling needle 21 to the predetermined height regardless of whether the micro sample container 202 is equipped with a cap 220. Then, the motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to move down with the second driving current. Since the bottom of the cavity of the micro sample container 202 is higher than the bottom of the cavity of the constant sample container 201 when the constant sample container 201 and the micro sample container 202 are placed on the same sample holder 300, when the control motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to move down with the same second predetermined height (D) as the target, the sampling needle 21 contacts the bottom of the cavity of the micro sample container 202 before moving down to the second predetermined height. At this time, the control device 30 detects that the motor 22 has stalled, and then controls the motor 22 to stop driving the sampling needle to avoid damage to the sampling needle or the micro sample container 202.

[0067] That is, the sample analyzer 100 provided in this embodiment of the invention drives the sampling needle to move by having the motor 22 work with different currents in succession and simultaneously detects whether the motor is stalled. It can use the same sampling needle movement control method for different types of sample containers without needing to obtain the type of sample container in advance, and can even determine the type of sample container in order to control the sample aspiration volume of the sampling needle.

[0068] For example, the control device 30 always targets the second predetermined height corresponding to the constant sample container 201, and controls the motor 22 (operating with the second drive current) to drive the sampling needle 21 downward. If the control device 30 detects that the motor has stalled before the sampling needle 21 moves down to the second predetermined height, it stops the motor. This indicates that the current sample container is a micro-sample container. Then, the control device 30 controls the sampling needle to draw up the first amount of sample, and optionally controls the sample preparation device 40 to prepare the test sample solution with the first dilution. If the motor 20 drives the sampling needle 21 to move down smoothly to the second predetermined height and then stops, and the control device 30 does not detect that the motor has stalled, this indicates that the current sample container is a constant sample container. Then, the control device 30 controls the sampling needle to draw up the second amount of sample, which is greater than the first amount, and optionally controls the sample preparation device 40 to prepare the test sample solution with the second dilution, which is less than the first dilution.

[0069] In some embodiments, motor 20 is a stepper motor. If the sample container being sampled is a micro-sample container, when the tip of the sampling needle 21 touches the bottom of the cavity of the sample container, the stepper motor will lose steps, so that the tip of the sampling needle 21 remains at position C. If the sample container being sampled is a constant sample container, the tip of the sampling needle 21 will eventually descend to position D, so that the descent height of the sampling needle can simultaneously meet the requirements of aspirating and discharging samples in both the micro-sample container 91 and the constant sample container 90.

[0070] In some embodiments, an encoder is installed on the shaft of the motor 20, and the presence of a stall is determined by changes in the encoder's output signal (changes in frequency, voltage, current, etc.). This encoder can be a photoelectric encoder or a magnetic encoder.

[0071] In some embodiments, the control device 30 includes a drive chip 31 with a motor stall detection function. The drive chip 31 is configured to control the operation of the motor 22 and monitor whether the motor 22 stalls when the motor 22 is operating with a second drive current. The drive chip 31 is further configured to control the motor 22 to stop operating when it is determined that the motor 22 has stalled.

[0072] For example, see Figure 7 The motor 22 can be a stepper motor, in which case the motor 22 includes a stator 221 and a rotor 222. Coils are wound on the stator 221, and silicon steel sheets are fixed on the rotor 222. The driver chip 31 controls the magnitude and direction of the current in the coils of the stator 221 to generate an alternating magnetic field. This magnetic field interacts with the silicon steel sheets of the rotor 222 to generate a rotational magnetic force, thereby driving the rotor 222 to rotate. While the rotor 222 rotates, it generates an alternating magnetic field around the coils of the stator 221. This alternating magnetic field induces an electric field in the coils of the stator 221, which is defined as a back electromotive force (EMF). The back EMF is related to the inductance of the stator 221 coils, as well as the magnitude of the magnetic field generated by the silicon steel sheets of the rotor 222 and the rotational speed of the rotor 222. For a finished motor 22, the inductance of the stator 221 coils and the silicon steel sheets of the rotor 222 are already determined, and the magnitude of the back EMF is only positively correlated with the rotational speed of the rotor 222.

[0073] See Figure 8The higher the motor speed, the greater the back electromotive force induced in the stator coil of stator 221. Therefore, the driver chip 31 can determine whether motor 22 is stalled by detecting the motor speed or back electromotive force. Understandably, when motor 22 operates with the second drive current and drives the sampling needle 21 downwards without contacting the bottom of the sample container 200, the rotor 221 of motor 22 is defined to have a first speed M1. At this time, the stator coil of motor 221 will induce a first back electromotive force E1. The driver chip 31 can detect the operating state of motor 22 by continuously capturing changes in the back electromotive force, and the driver chip 31 can also detect the operating state of motor 22 by continuously detecting its speed.

[0074] When the tip of the sampling needle 21 touches the bottom of the sample container 200, the motor 22 will stall because the sampling needle 21 cannot penetrate the sample container 200. The speed of the motor 22 will decrease from the first speed M1 to 0 or close to 0. At this time, the drive chip 31 detects the change in the speed of the motor 22. When the speed decreases from the first speed M1 to 0 or close to 0, it can determine that the motor 22 has stalled and stop the operation of the motor 22 accordingly. This prevents the motor 22 from continuously driving the sampling needle 21 to move downward and impacting the bottom of the sample container 200, and also shortens the noise duration generated after the motor 22 stalls. Correspondingly, when the speed of motor 22 decreases from the first speed M1 to 0 or close to 0, since the inductance of the stator coil 221 and the state of the silicon steel sheets of rotor 222 are already determined, the first back-generated electromotive force E1 generated by the stator coil 221 is positively correlated with the speed of motor 22. The back-generated electromotive force generated by the stator coil 221 will also decrease from the first back-generated electromotive force E1 to 0 or close to 0. At this time, the drive chip 31 can detect the change in the back-generated electromotive force of motor 22 and thus determine that motor 22 has stalled, and stop the operation of motor 22 accordingly.

[0075] In one embodiment, the operation of the motor 22 can be stopped earlier by setting a second rotational speed M2 lower than the first rotational speed M1, or a second reverse electromotive force E2 lower than the first reverse electromotive force E1 within the driver chip 31, thereby reducing the impact on the bottom of the sample container 200 when the motor 22 stalls. Specifically, the second rotational speed M2 and the second reverse electromotive force E2 can be regarded as the critical threshold for the driver chip 31 to stop the operation of the motor 22. When the motor 22 drives the sampling needle 21 to move downward, the rotational speed of the motor 22 will only decrease from the first rotational speed M1 when the sampling needle 21 begins to touch the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200, and the reverse electromotive force generated by the coil of the stator 221 of the motor 22 will decrease from the first reverse electromotive force E1. Therefore, the driver chip 31 does not actually need to detect that the speed or back electromotive force of the motor 22 drops to 0 or close to 0 to determine that the motor 22 is stalled. Instead, it only needs to detect that the speed of the motor 22 drops to a preset second speed M2, or that the back electromotive force of the motor 22 drops to a preset second back electromotive force E2, to determine that the motor 22 is stalled. Because the driver chip 31 stops the operation of the motor 22 in advance, it further reduces the impact of the motor 22 driving the sampling needle 21 on the bottom of the sample container 200.

[0076] In one embodiment, to further reduce the time it takes for the sampling needle 21 to stall after being driven down by the motor 22 to contact the bottom of the sample container 200 cavity, the value of the second rotational speed M2 can be set to be no greater than half the value of the first rotational speed M1, or the value of the second back-generated electromotive force E2 can be set to be no greater than half the value of the first back-generated electromotive force E1. Compared to stopping the motor 22 only when the rotational speed of the motor 22 drops to 0 or close to 0, or when the back-generated electromotive force of the motor 22 drops to 0 or close to 0, this configuration of the drive chip 31 can further reduce damage to the bottom of the sample container 200 cavity caused by the sampling needle 21.

[0077] In one embodiment, the driver chip 31 may include TRINAMIC's TMC5130, TMC5160, or TMC5161, which have an automatic motor stall detection function. These types of motor driver chips can calculate the magnitude of the back electromotive force generated by the motor 22 at different speeds based on the coil resistance and inductance parameters of the motor 22 when driving the motor 22 to rotate. In other words, they can detect the back electromotive force generated in the drive circuit when the motor 22 rotates, and are therefore suitable for use in the sample analyzer 100 of this invention.

[0078] Please see Figure 9The second aspect of the present invention, as shown, provides another sample analyzer 100a, including a transport device 10a, a sampling device 20a, and a control device 30a. Embodiments of the transport device 10a and the sampling device 20a can be referred to the embodiments of the transport device 10 and the sampling device 20 described above. The control device 30a is electrically connected to the transport device 10a and the sampling device 20a respectively and configured to control their operation. Further, the control device 30a also includes a drive chip 31a with a motor stall detection function. The drive chip 31a is configured to control the motor 22a to drive the sampling needle 21a to move and to monitor whether the motor 22a stalls while controlling the motor 22a.

[0079] Understandably, the other sample analyzer 100a provided by this invention achieves the effect of promptly stopping the operation of the motor 22a when it stalls because the control device 30a includes a drive chip 31a with the function of detecting whether the motor 22a is stalled. Therefore, the sample analyzer 100a of this invention can also reduce the impact of the sampling needle 21a on the sample container, thereby protecting the sample container and the sampling needle 21a.

[0080] Figure 10 This illustration shows another sample analyzer 100b provided in the third aspect of the present invention, including a transport device 10b, a sampling device 20b, and a control device 30b. Embodiments of the transport device 10b and the sampling device 20b can also refer to the embodiments of the transport device 10 and the sampling device 20 described above, wherein the sampling device 20b also has a sampling needle 21b and a motor 22b. When the control device 30b is electrically connected to and configured to control the operation of the transport device 10b and the sampling device 20b respectively, after the transport device 10b transports the sample container 200 to the sampling position, the control device 30b drives the sampling needle 21b to move downwards with a predetermined downward height and extend into the sample container 200. Simultaneously, the control device 30b also monitors whether the motor 22b stalls when driving the sampling needle 21b to the predetermined downward height, that is, whether the sampling needle 21b contacts the bottom of the sample container 200 at the predetermined downward height position.

[0081] Subsequently, when motor 22b stalls, control device 30b stops motor 22b and controls sampling needle 21b to draw a first amount of sample from sample container 200. When motor 22b does not stall, control device 30b stops motor 22b and controls sampling needle 21b to draw a second amount of sample from sample container 200, and the second amount is different from the first amount. For example, compared to the case where a constant sample container is placed on the sample holder, when a micro-sample container is placed on the sample holder, the bottom of the micro-sample cavity is higher, and stalling usually occurs. Therefore, in this case, the second amount is greater than the first amount.

[0082] Specifically, in the sample analyzer 100b of this embodiment, the sample volume drawn by the sampling needle 21b is also controlled by whether the motor 22b stalls. Combined with... Figure 6 As can be seen from the diagram, the predetermined downward movement height can be set in conjunction with the bottom (D) position of the constant sample container 201. The motor 22b does not need to know the type of the sample container 200 beforehand; the control device 30b directly controls the motor 22b to operate, driving the sampling needle 21b to move downwards towards the predetermined downward movement height. If the sample container 200 is a micro-sample container 202, the sampling needle 21b will contact the bottom of the micro-sample container 202 before moving downwards to the predetermined downward movement height, causing the motor 22b to stall. The control device 30b determines that the sample being sampled is a micro-sample by detecting that the motor 22b stalled before driving the sampling needle 21b to the predetermined downward movement height, and then controls the sampling needle 21b to draw a first amount of sample from the micro-sample container 202. Conversely, if the motor 22b does not stall during the predetermined downward movement of the sampling needle 21b, the sampling needle 21b will move directly to the predetermined downward movement height under the drive of the motor 22b, that is, the sampling needle 21b will move down to... Figure 6 Position D in the diagram. Understandably, at this point, the control device 30b detects that the motor 22b did not stall during the downward movement of the sampling needle 21b to the predetermined height, thus determining that the sample being sampled is a constant sample. It then controls the sampling needle 21b to draw a second amount of sample from the constant sample container 201. Since the amount of the constant sample is greater than that of the trace sample, the second amount must also be greater than the first amount.

[0083] By utilizing the stall monitoring function of the control device 30b on the motor 22b, the sample analyzer 100b provided in the third aspect of the present invention does not need to obtain the type of the sample container in advance. It can determine the type of the sample container 200 in real time by whether the motor 22b stalls during the process of driving the sampling needle 21b to move down to a predetermined downward height, and control the sample aspiration amount of the sampling needle 21b accordingly.

[0084] It is understood that in the sample analyzer 100b of this embodiment, the control device 30b may also include a drive chip 31b with a motor stall detection function. The drive chip 31b is also configured to control the operation of the motor 22b and monitor whether the motor 22b stalls.

[0085] In some embodiments, the driver chip 31a and / or driver chip 31b described above may include the TMC5130, TMC5160 or TMC5161 from TRINAMIC.

[0086] The sample analyzer 100b provided in the third aspect of the present invention may further include a sample preparation device 40b for preparing a sample solution to be tested, and the sample preparation device 40b is also electrically connected to the control device 30b. After the sampling needle 21b draws in a first or second amount of sample, the control device 30b further controls the volume of the reagent added by the sample preparation device 40b for mixing the corresponding sample during the preparation of the sample solution to be tested.

[0087] Specifically, when the control device 30b determines that the motor 22b stalls at the predetermined downward height of the sampling needle 21b, the control device 30b subsequently controls the sample preparation device 40b to dilute the first amount of sample taken according to the first dilution ratio; when the control device 30b determines that the motor 22b does not stall during the movement of the sampling needle 21b to the predetermined downward height, the control device 30b controls the sample preparation device 40b to dilute the second amount of sample taken according to a second dilution ratio different from, for example, lower than, the first dilution ratio.

[0088] For example, during the preparation of the test sample solution by the sample preparation device 40b, the first trace sample extracted by the sampling needle 21b is typically about 50 μL, while the second sample extracted as a constant sample is typically about 75 μL. Furthermore, the dilution ratio when diluting and mixing the first trace sample is typically about 94 times (i.e., the first dilution ratio), while the dilution ratio when diluting and mixing the second constant sample is typically about 71 times (i.e., the second dilution ratio). The subsequent measurement time for the test sample solution prepared from the trace sample (approximately 71 μL) is approximately 8 seconds, while the measurement time for the test sample solution prepared from the constant sample (approximately 40 μL) is approximately 4.5 seconds. These different settings are used to ensure the detection accuracy of trace and constant samples, and to improve detection efficiency.

[0089] Therefore, the sample analyzer 100b of the present invention, with the control device 30b having the function of detecting motor 22b stall, does not need to obtain the type of sample container in advance. It can determine the type of sample container 200 in real time by detecting whether motor 22b stalls during the process of driving sampling needle 21b to move down to a predetermined downward height. It can also control the sample aspiration volume and dilution ratio of sampling needle 21b and other subsequent detection steps to ensure accurate implementation, thereby improving detection efficiency.

[0090] It is understood that other embodiments of the sample analyzer 100a and sample analyzer 100b of the present invention can be found in the various embodiments of the sample analyzer 100 described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0091] Figure 11 This illustration shows a sample analysis method provided by a fourth aspect of the present invention, comprising the following steps:

[0092] S100, the control and transport device 10 transports the sample container 200 containing the sample to be tested to the sampling position;

[0093] S200, control motor 22 to operate with first drive current to drive sampling needle 21 to move down and extend into sample container 200 located at sampling position until a first predetermined height above the bottom of the cavity of sample container 200.

[0094] S300. After the sampling needle 21 moves down to the first predetermined height, the motor 22 is controlled to work with a second driving current less than the first driving current, so as to drive the sampling needle 21 to continue to move down until the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200, so as to collect the sample to be tested.

[0095] Specifically, please refer to the embodiment description of the sample analyzer 100 described above. The sample analysis method of the present invention is also applied to the sampling process of the sampling device 20 in the sample analyzer 100, where the sample to be tested is sampled from the sample container 200. Specifically, after the transport device 10 transports the sample container 200 to the sampling position, the motor 22 in the sampling device 20 first operates with a first drive current to ensure that the sampling needle 21 extends into the sample container 200 at a first predetermined height (e.g., ...). Figure 6 When the sampling needle 21 reaches position B in the sample container 200, it has a sufficiently large driving force. At this point, regardless of whether the sample container 200 has a cap 220 at its opening, this method ensures that the sampling needle 21 can smoothly move down to the first predetermined height. That is, for sample container 201 without a cap 220, the downward movement of the sampling needle 21 is unaffected; while for sample container 202 with a cap 220, the sampling needle 21 has a large driving force, ensuring that it pierces the cap 220 and moves down to the predetermined height. Then, motor 22 operates with a second driving current less than the first driving current, driving the sampling needle 21 to continue moving down to the bottom of the sample container 200's cavity to collect the sample. Because the second driving current is less than the first driving current, during the process of moving down to the bottom of the sample container 200's cavity, regardless of whether the sampling needle 21 contacts the bottom of the sample container 200's cavity, the smaller driving force of the sampling needle 21 protects the bottom of the sample container 200's cavity.

[0096] In one embodiment, controlling the motor 22 to operate with a first drive current in step S200 and controlling the motor 22 to operate with a second drive current in step S300 can both be achieved by the driver chip 31.

[0097] In some embodiments, such as Figure 12 As shown, the sample analysis method further includes:

[0098] S400, when the control motor 22 is operating with the second drive current, monitor whether the motor 22 is stalled in order to determine whether the sampling needle 21 has moved down to contact the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200;

[0099] S500a, when it is determined that motor 22 is stalled, the motor is controlled to stop working (e.g., Figure 6 (position C in the text).

[0100] In some embodiments, such as Figure 12 As shown, the sample analysis method further includes:

[0101] S500b, when determining that the motor 22 is not stalled, controls the motor 22 to drive the sampling needle 21 downwards until it reaches a second predetermined height (e.g., above the bottom of the sample container cavity) near the bottom of the sample container cavity. Figure 6 (at position D in the diagram), the first predetermined height is higher than the second predetermined height.

[0102] In some embodiments, the same applies. Figure 12 As shown, the sample analysis method further includes:

[0103] S600a, when it is determined that the motor 22 is stalled, the sampling needle 21 is controlled to draw the first amount of sample from the sample container 201;

[0104] S600b, when it is determined that the motor 22 has not stalled and the sampling needle 21 has moved down to the second predetermined height, the sampling needle 21 is controlled to draw a second amount of sample from the sample container 202, the second amount being greater than the first amount.

[0105] In one embodiment, the driving chip 31 monitors whether the motor 22 stalls to determine whether the sampling needle 21 has moved down to the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 22.

[0106] Furthermore, the driver chip 31 can also detect whether the motor 22 is stalled by monitoring the speed or back electromotive force of the motor 22. For example, the driver chip 31 can monitor whether the speed or back electromotive force of the motor 22 reaches a preset threshold, wherein the preset threshold is less than the value of the speed or back electromotive force of the motor 22 when it is operating with the second drive current.

[0107] Specifically, the driver chip 31 monitors the speed or back electromotive force of the motor 22 to determine whether the motor 22 is stalled. This can be achieved by the driver chip 31 monitoring the speed or back electromotive force of the motor 22 to drop to 0 or approach 0.

[0108] In another embodiment, the rotational speed or back electromotive force of the motor 22 when operating with the second drive current has a first value. The drive chip 31 can also preset a second value less than this first value. The drive chip 31 is configured to determine that the motor 22 has stalled and stop its operation when it detects that the rotational speed or back electromotive force of the motor 22 has dropped to this second value. It should be noted that the definitions of "first value" and "second value" in this method can be found in the above description of the sample analyzer 100. That is, the motor 22 has a first rotational speed M1 when operating with the second drive current, and when the sampling needle 21 contacts the bottom of the sample container 200, causing the motor 22 to decelerate to the second rotational speed M2 preset in the drive chip 31, it can be determined that the motor 22 has stalled. Correspondingly, the motor 22 has a first back electromotive force E1 when operating with the second drive current, and when the motor 22 decelerates to the second electromotive force E2 preset in the drive chip 31, the drive chip 31 determines that the motor 22 has stalled and stops its operation. Understandably, when the second rotational speed M2 is set to be no less than half of the first rotational speed M1, or the second reverse electromotive force E2 is set to be no less than half of the first reverse electromotive force E1, the drive chip 31 can further control the motor 22 to stop working in advance when it is determined that the motor 22 is stalled, thereby shortening the time when the motor 22 is stalled and protecting the sampling needle 21 and the sample container 200 from impact.

[0109] In some embodiments, where a sealing cap 220 is provided at the opening of the sample container 200, step S200 includes:

[0110] The control motor 22 operates by using a first driving current to pierce the cap 220 during the process of driving the sampling needle 21 to move down to a predetermined height; and

[0111] The control motor drives the sampling needle 21 to move downwards so that the distance between the tip of the sampling needle 21 and the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200 is at least 1 / 3 of the cavity height of the sample container.

[0112] Specifically, the setting of the first driving current needs to be determined according to the materials of the cap 220 and the sampling needle 21. That is, it must ensure that the sampling needle 21 has sufficient driving force to pierce the cap 220 when the motor 22 is working with the first driving current. On the other hand, the setting for the sampling needle 21 to move to the predetermined height also needs to ensure that the sampling needle 21 can obtain sufficient deceleration distance during the process of the motor 22 continuing to drive the sampling needle 21 downward with the second driving current, so that the sampling needle 21 moves downward with a driving force matching the second driving current to the bottom of the sample container 200, protecting the sample container 200 and the sampling needle 21 from damage.

[0113] In one embodiment, step S300 includes:

[0114] The control motor 22 operates with a second driving current that will not puncture the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200, so as to drive the sampling needle 21 to continue to move down until the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200 is collected to collect the sample to be tested.

[0115] Specifically, the setting of the second driving current also needs to be determined according to the material of the tube 210 of the sample container 200 and the sampling needle 21. That is, to ensure that when the motor 22 is working with the second driving current, the driving force of the sampling needle 21 is small enough, and to avoid the sampling needle 21 causing a large impact on the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200.

[0116] In one embodiment, such as Figure 13 As shown, after step S300, the sample analysis method further includes:

[0117] S700: React the sample to be tested collected from the sampling device 20 with the processing reagent to prepare the sample solution to be tested;

[0118] S800, to test the sample solution.

[0119] Specifically, after the method of the present invention effectively collects the sample to be tested from the sample container 200, the collected sample to be tested can be further processed to react the sample to be tested with processing reagents (such as diluents, fluorescent dyes, etc.) to prepare the sample solution to be tested, and the cells in the prepared sample solution to be tested are detected, thus completing the entire process of sample analysis from transporting the sample to collecting the sample, preparing the sample solution and finally testing the sample solution.

[0120] Figure 14 The fifth aspect of this invention illustrates a sample analysis method, the specific steps of which include:

[0121] S100b, the control and transport device 10b transports the sample container 200 containing the sample to be tested to the sampling position;

[0122] S200b: With a predetermined downward movement height as the target, control motor 22b to drive sampling needle 21b to move downward and extend into sample container 200 located at sampling position;

[0123] S300b: When controlling the motor 22b to move the sampling needle 21b downward with the target downward height, monitor whether the motor 22b stalls, so as to determine whether the sampling needle 21b contacts the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200 before moving downward to the target downward height;

[0124] S401b: When it is determined that the motor 22b is stalled, control the motor 22b to stop working and control the sampling needle 21b to draw the first amount of sample from the sample container 200;

[0125] S402b: When it is determined that the motor 22b has not stalled and the sampling needle 21b has moved down to the predetermined downward height, the motor 22b is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle 21b is controlled to draw a second amount of sample from the sample container 200, and the second amount is different from the first amount.

[0126] Specifically, Figure 14 The sample analysis method can be applied to the embodiment of the sample analyzer 100b of the third aspect of the present invention. Because the control device 30b has the function of detecting motor 22b stall, this method can determine the type of the sample container 200 currently at the sampling position by detecting whether motor 22b stalls during the downward movement of the sampling needle 21b towards a predetermined downward height. Subsequently, during sample aspiration and sample processing to prepare the test sample solution, based on the determination of the sample container 200 type, a first amount of sample is aspirated and a test sample solution is prepared based on the first amount of sample; or a second amount of sample is aspirated and a test sample solution is prepared based on the second amount of sample, thereby improving the detection accuracy and efficiency of sample analysis.

[0127] Please see Figure 15 The present invention also relates to a computer-readable storage medium 400, including a processor 401 and a storage device 402. The storage device 402 stores executable instructions and is configured to implement the above-described sample analysis method when the processor 401 executes the executable instructions.

[0128] Storage device 402 may include volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM); or non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD); or a combination of the above types of storage devices.

[0129] Processor 401 can be a central processing unit (CPU). Processor 301 can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0130] In one embodiment, processor 401 invokes program instructions stored in storage device 402 to perform the following operations:

[0131] The control and transport device 10 transports the sample container 200 containing the sample to be tested to the sampling position;

[0132] The control motor 22 operates with a first drive current to drive the sampling needle 21 to move down and extend into the sample container 200 located at the sampling position until it reaches a predetermined height above the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200.

[0133] After the sampling needle 21 moves down to the predetermined height, the motor 22 is controlled to operate with a second driving current less than the first driving current, so as to drive the sampling needle 21 to continue to move down until the bottom of the cavity of the sample container 200 is reached to collect the sample to be tested.

[0134] It should be noted that other embodiments of the sample analysis method and computer-readable storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present invention can be found in the description of the various embodiments of the above-described sample analyzer.

[0135] The features mentioned above in the specification, claims, and drawings can be arbitrarily combined with each other as long as they are meaningful within the scope of this invention, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this technical solution. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the above embodiments should be included within the scope of protection of this technical solution.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer characterized by, include: A transport device is used to transport sample containers loaded with samples to be tested to a sampling position. The transport device includes a sample rack support component, a sample rack feeding device, a sample rack lateral transport device, and a sample rack delivery device. The sample rack support component includes a pre-analytical sample rack storage area for holding several sample racks containing pre-analytical samples, a post-analytical sample rack storage area for holding several sample racks containing post-analytical samples, and a sample analysis area located between the pre-analytical and post-analytical sample rack storage areas. The sample rack feeding device, the sample rack lateral transport device, and the sample rack delivery device can transport the same sample rack sequentially through the pre-analytical sample rack storage area, the sample analysis area, and the post-analytical sample rack storage area, and the sample containers on the same sample rack are sequentially transported to the sampling position. The sample containers on the same sample rack include constant sample containers and micro-sample containers. A sampling device includes a sampling needle and a motor for driving the sampling needle to move down into the sample container to collect the loaded sample to be tested; A control device, electrically connected to the conveying device and the sampling device, and configured to: The transport device is controlled to transport the sample container to the sampling position; The motor is controlled to operate with a first drive current to drive the sampling needle to move downward and extend into the sample container located at the sampling position until it reaches a first predetermined height above the bottom of the cavity of the sample container; After the sampling needle moves down to the first predetermined height, the motor is controlled to operate with a second driving current less than the first driving current, so as to drive the sampling needle to continue moving down toward the second predetermined height; wherein, the second predetermined height is close to the bottom of the cavity of the constant sample container and lower than the bottom of the cavity of the micro sample container; If the motor is detected to be stalled before the sampling needle moves down to the second predetermined height, the motor is controlled to stop working when the stall is detected, and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a first amount of sample. If the sampling needle moves down to the second predetermined height, the motor stops working when the sampling needle moves down to the second predetermined height, and the sampling needle is controlled to absorb a second amount of sample; wherein the second amount is greater than the first amount.

2. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein, The control device includes a drive chip with a motor stall detection function. The drive chip is configured to control the operation of the motor, monitor whether the motor stalls when controlling the motor to operate with the second drive current, and control the motor to stop working when it is determined that the motor has stalled.

3. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive chip is configured to determine whether the motor is stalled based on the motor's rotational speed or back electromotive force.

4. The sample analyzer according to claim 3, characterized in that, The motor has a first value in terms of speed or back electromotive force when operating with the second drive current, wherein the drive chip is configured to control the motor to stop operating if the speed or back electromotive force of the motor reaches a second value that is less than the first value when controlling the motor to operate with the second drive current.

5. The sample analyzer of claim 4, wherein, The second value is no greater than half of the first value.

6. The sample analyzer of claim 2, wherein, The driver chip models include TRINAMIC's TMC5130, TMC5160, or TMC5161.

7. The sample analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The sample container is provided with a sealing cap at the opening. The first driving current is designed so that the sampling needle can pierce the cap and extend into the sample container as it moves down to the first predetermined height.

8. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The first predetermined height is designed such that the distance between the tip of the sampling needle and the bottom of the cavity of the sample container located at the sampling position is at least 1 / 3 of the cavity height of the sample container.

9. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The second driving current is designed so that the sampling needle will not puncture the bottom of the sample container cavity when it moves down to contact the bottom of the sample container cavity.

10. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The sample analyzer further includes: A sample preparation device for preparing a sample solution from the sample to be tested collected by the sampling device and processing reagents; A detection device for detecting the sample liquid to be tested.

11. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The sample analyzer further includes: A parameter setting device is electrically connected to the control device and is used to set at least one of the first drive current, the second drive current, the first predetermined height, and the second predetermined height.

12. A sample analyzer characterized by, include: A transport device is used to transport sample containers loaded with samples to be tested to a sampling position. The transport device includes a sample rack support component, a sample rack feeding device, a sample rack lateral transport device, and a sample rack delivery device. The sample rack support component includes a pre-analytical sample rack storage area for holding several sample racks containing pre-analytical samples, a post-analytical sample rack storage area for holding several sample racks containing post-analytical samples, and a sample analysis area located between the pre-analytical and post-analytical sample rack storage areas. The sample rack feeding device, the sample rack lateral transport device, and the sample rack delivery device can transport the same sample rack sequentially through the pre-analytical sample rack storage area, the sample analysis area, and the post-analytical sample rack storage area, and the sample containers on the same sample rack are sequentially transported to the sampling position. The sample containers on the same sample rack include constant sample containers and micro-sample containers. A sampling device includes a sampling needle and a motor for driving the sampling needle to move down into the sample container to collect the loaded sample to be tested; A control device, electrically connected to and configured with respect to the conveying device and the sampling device, is used for: The transport device is controlled to transport the sample container to the sampling position; With a predetermined downward displacement height as the target, the motor is controlled to drive the sampling needle to move downward and extend into the sample container located at the sampling position. The predetermined downward displacement height is close to the bottom of the cavity of the constant sample container and lower than the bottom of the cavity of the micro sample container. When controlling the motor to move the sampling needle downwards with the target downward height, monitor whether the motor stalls, so as to determine whether the sampling needle contacts the bottom of the sample container cavity before moving down to the target downward height; When it is determined that the motor is stalled, the motor is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a first amount of sample from the sample container; When it is determined that the motor has not stalled and the sampling needle has moved down to the predetermined downward height, the motor is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a second amount of sample from the sample container, the second amount being greater than the first amount.

13. The sample analyzer of claim 12, wherein, The control device includes a drive chip with motor stall detection function. The drive chip is configured to control the operation of the motor and monitor whether the motor stalls.

14. The sample analyzer according to claim 13, characterized in that, The driver chip models include TRINAMIC's TMC5130, TMC5160, or TMC5161.

15. The sample analyzer according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, The sample analyzer also includes a sample preparation device for preparing a test sample solution by mixing reagents with a sample in a sample container, and the control device is further configured to: When it is determined that the motor is stalled, the sample preparation device is controlled to dilute the sample according to the first dilution ratio; When it is determined that the motor has not stalled and the sampling needle has moved down to the predetermined downward height, the sample preparation device is controlled to dilute the sample at a second dilution ratio different from the first dilution ratio.

16. A sample analysis method, characterized by comprising the following steps: The control transport device transports a sample container loaded with a sample to be measured to a sampling position, comprising: The control and transport device transports the same sample rack sequentially through the pre-analysis sample rack storage area, the sample analysis area, and the post-analysis sample rack storage area, and transports the sample containers on the same sample rack sequentially to the sampling position. The sample containers on the same sample rack include constant sample containers and micro sample containers. The control motor operates with a first drive current to drive the sampling needle to move downward and extend into the sample container located at the sampling position until it reaches a first predetermined height above the bottom of the cavity of the sample container; After the sampling needle moves down to the first predetermined height, the motor is controlled to operate with a second driving current less than the first driving current, so as to drive the sampling needle to continue moving down toward the second predetermined height; wherein, the second predetermined height is close to the bottom of the cavity of the constant sample container and lower than the bottom of the cavity of the micro sample container; If the motor is detected to be stalled before the sampling needle moves down to the second predetermined height, the motor is controlled to stop working when the stall is detected, and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a first amount of sample. If the sampling needle moves down to the second predetermined height, the motor stops working when the sampling needle moves down to the second predetermined height, and the sampling needle is controlled to absorb a second amount of sample; wherein the second amount is greater than the first amount.

17. The sample analysis method of claim 16, wherein, The steps for monitoring whether the motor is stalled include: The speed or back electromotive force of the motor is monitored to see if it reaches a preset threshold, wherein the preset threshold is less than the value of the speed or back electromotive force of the motor when it is operating with the second drive current.

18. The sample analysis method of any one of claims 16-17, wherein, The sample container has a sealing cap at its opening, and the control motor operates with a first drive current, which includes controlling the motor to operate with the first drive current capable of piercing the cap during the process of driving the sampling needle down to the first predetermined height.

19. The sample analysis method of any one of claims 16-17, wherein, Further includes: The sample collected by the sampling needle is reacted with the processing reagent to prepare the sample solution. The sample solution to be tested is then analyzed.

20. A method of sample analysis, characterized by, include: The control and transport device transports the sample container loaded with the sample to be tested to the sampling position, including: the control and transport device transports the same sample rack through the pre-analysis sample rack storage area, the sample analysis area and the post-analysis sample rack storage area in sequence, and transports the sample containers on the same sample rack to the sampling position in sequence, wherein the sample containers on the same sample rack include constant sample containers and micro sample containers; With a predetermined downward displacement height as the target, the motor drives the sampling needle to move downward and extend into the sample container located at the sampling position. The predetermined downward displacement height is close to the bottom of the cavity of the constant sample container and lower than the bottom of the cavity of the micro sample container. When controlling the motor to move the sampling needle downwards with the target downward height, monitor whether the motor stalls, so as to determine whether the sampling needle contacts the bottom of the sample container cavity before moving down to the target downward height; When it is determined that the motor is stalled, the motor is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a first amount of sample from the sample container; When it is determined that the motor has not stalled and the sampling needle has moved down to the predetermined downward height, the motor is controlled to stop working and the sampling needle is controlled to draw a second amount of sample from the sample container, the second amount being greater than the first amount.

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